My Cinderella Story
by xoxo-catzeyez-xoxo
Summary: In San Fransisco Gabriella is treated like a nobody. When her family move to Albuquerque, will she come out of her protective shell, or will she end up being a nobody again? Rated T for abuse and foul langauage. Now Complete!
1. Introducing Gabriella

**Hey There Fellow Readers! This Is My First Ever High School Musical Fanfic So Be Nice! I Don't Promise Much But If You Like It Please Review!**

**Disclaimer: Well...Basically...I Don't Own Anything! Except For The Plot! That's All Mine (Smiles)  
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Gabriella Montez opened the door to her bedroom; she walked in and slammed the door behind her. She dropped all her bags on the floor and ran over to the bed. She picked up a pillow and buried her face in it. She began to scream until she felt better. After she let out her frustration she dropped the pillow and went about her daily routine. This was nothing out of the ordinary for Gabriella. Every day she would come up to her room and scream into her pillow. It relieved her of all the frustration she had bottled up inside. The frustration came from none other than her family.

Her family consisted of her father, Julio Montez, who was an artist. He wasn't famous…yet. He always thought that his "talent" would be founded one day and he's still waiting for that day to come. Her mother, Celina Montez, was a lawyer, one of the best actually. Then there was her twin sister, Chanel Montez. She was…well she was everything her parents wanted her to be. Gabriella was the outcast of the family. She kept to herself and tried to avoid any contact with the rest of her family. When she did come into contact with them she was always yelled at and sometimes even hit. She was the invisible one. The forgotten child, or whatever you would call it.

The Montez household was the worst place in the world for Gabriella. She never called her house her home; after all home is a place where one felt safe. Gabriella never felt safe at home; therefore she spent as much time as she could away from it. She got a job at the local bookstore and indulged herself into that. Working late and early shifts that helped her avoid her family members.

The second worst place for Gabriella was school. She hated it. Not because she wasn't clever enough but because she wasn't treated as one of the kids. She was treated as an outcast. Gabriella was named the school boff in less than a week after she started going to high school. People came to her for tutoring and homework and that was it. She had a small group of friends but they weren't really friends. They were just some kids from the science lab. Gabriella had never had a true friend. She thought that true friends shared secrets with each other and made each other feel good. Friends like the ones her sister had.

Chanel Montez was the It girl. The girl every girl wanted to be and every boy wanted to be with. She was head cheerleader and was dating the football captain. On top of that she was president of the drama club and the class president. She outshone Gabriella in all of those areas but she never topped Gabriella in Science, English and Maths. They were Gabriella's best subjects and she was guaranteed A's all the way through. Chanel's grades went up to B's and the odd A's if Gabriella helped her. But she was still the apple of everyone's eyes. Gabriella also shone in dance and music. But she liked to keep them under wraps. Chanel and Gabriella were identical twins. They had the same curly brown locks. The same deep chocolate eyes. The same Latina looks. Both girls were beautiful. Gabriella kept her beauty undercover. She wore glasses with no make-up. She kept her hair up and out of the way. She wore loose shirts and long skirts to hide her figure and she never followed any trends. Chanel on the other hand exaggerated her beauty. She too had a weak eyesight but she decided on wearing contacts, coloured contacts that is. Chanel always wore makeup. She wore the tightest clothes and made sure she was up to date on the latest trends. Her hair was always flowing free and she had dyed it to make it stand out more. So in the public's eyes Gabriella and Chanel were almost non-identical. That's the way each twin liked it. They didn't want anything to do with each other.

**San Francisco, California…**

Gabriella walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a white towel. She made her way over to her room and closed the door behind her. She walked over to her closet and looked through her clothes.

"Hmm…that's okay…that's a bit plain…" She mumbled as she went through her clothes. There was a special event being held at the bookstore where Gabriella worked. The boss had invited her to come so here she was picking out some decent clothes to wear. Gabriella groaned as she went through the last pile of clothes in her closet. She had absolutely nothing to wear. Gabriella owned nothing fancy nor elegant. Although she did have a couple of decent dresses somewhere in the back of her closet. Gabriella looked at the back of her closet and found a box containing dresses. Gabriella smiled as she picked a small black ensemble to wear. She put the dress on a felt happy with what it looked like. She left her hair open, for a change, and applied a little amount of make-up. She wore the only pair of heels she owned and grabbed a small handbag and her long coat on her way out. She began to make her way downstairs.

"Gabriella!" Gabriella sighed as she heard her father call her. She walked into the living room and found him sitting on the floor surrounded by newspaper and paint.

"Yeah?" She answered. Julio Montez looked up at his daughter.

"Where are you going?" He asked, noticing that she was dressed up. Gabriella looked at her feet.

"Out." She answered. Julio scowled.

"I said where are you going?" He demanded. Gabriella sighed.

"The bookstore. Urm they invited me to join one of their monthly functions." She explained. Julio stood up.

"So you decided to go? Without consulting me or your mother? How dare you." Julio was furious. Gabriella bit her lip; she knew what was coming next. "We made you, we clothed and fed you. We were there when you took your first step and spoke your first word and how do you repay us? By sneaking out and doing God knows what!" Julio recited the speech that they always gave Gabriella. Gabriella sighed and embraced herself for what was going to happen next. Julio lifted his hand and slapped Gabriella across the face. "See that's what you get for being disobedient. Now go do the laundry! Stupid kid made me forget what I wanted in the first place." Julio mumbled. Gabriella nodded and walked out of the room holding back her tears. This happened every so often but Gabriella didn't think much of it. But today she actually dressed up and she made an effort and all that she gained was a slap across the face. Literally. Gabriella ran up the stairs and past her smirking sister.

"Remember it's what you deserve…" Chanel said. Gabriella locked herself in her room and let the tears fall. This was just a nightmare.

"Gabriella Dad says hurry up with the washing! You've got the dishes to do next!" Chanel shouted up at her. Gabriella nodded to herself and then tore of the dress, got rid of the make up and came out of her room dressed in her usual jeans and blouse. She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. The laundry basket was half full and Gabriella tipped it all into the washing machine. She put the powder in and started the machine. She sighed and then rolled up her sleeves and put on the washing up gloves. Gabriella began to wash the dishes whilst humming to herself.

"I'm home!" Celina Montez rushed into the house. She looked red and flustered as she ran to meet her husband. As soon as she saw Julio she embraced him in a hug and planted a huge kiss on his lips.

"I've done it! I've got the promotion!" She screamed. Julio's face broke out in a grin and he picked Celina up and twirled her around. Celina started to laugh and scream as he put her down.

"Mom that's great!" Chanel ran up to Celina and gave her a hug. Celina smiled down at her perfect daughter. She looked up and saw Gabriella hovering by the door. Celina's smile turned into a scowl.

"Well aren't you going to congratulate me? Or are you just going to stand there!" Celina said. Gabriella walked over quietly.

"Congratulations Mom…I mean Ma'am." Gabriella corrected herself. Celina gave her a fake smile

"Well, the promotion has one downside. We have to move." As soon as those words came out of her mouth Chanel let out a blood-curdling scream.

"What! We can't!" Chanel's face was completely pale.

"Baby we have to go. We need this…" Celina told her daughter. Chanel put her hand up and wiped away her tears.

"It's alright mom. But first I want to go say goodbye to my mates." Chanel said sadly. Celina hated seeing Chanel upset.

"Go…go by all means go…don't come back until you've said goodbye to everyone!" Celina said as Chanel made her way out. Chanel passed Gabriella and gave her a look.

"At least I have people to say goodbye to." Gabriella gave Chanel and small glare and watched her walk off. The front door slammed and Gabriella was left with her parents. Celina and Julio looked at each other and then at Gabriella. Gabriella was looking at her feet not wanting to meet their gazes.

"Well Gabriella _darling_ you can go visit your _friends_ as well." Celina said in the sweetest voice. Gabriella looked up smiling.

"Really?" She was gob smacked. Julio took one look at her hope-filled face and burst out laughing.

"God no! We were just kidding. You have far too many chores to do…no time to meet your friends…that is if you do have any." Julio said between laughs. Celina joined in with him and Gabriella looked at her feet. Her face was bright red with humiliation.

"Well what are you waiting for? Get lost!" Celina hissed. Gabriella came to attention and ran off towards the kitchen. She looked back to see Celina and Julio kissing. She made a face and then resumed washing the dishes.

Gabriella began to hum to herself as she washed the dishes. She began to think about what life would be like outside of San Francisco. Gabriella made a promise to herself that she would try and make an effort to fit in the new community and most importantly the new school. Gabriella smiled at the chance of starting over.


	2. Meet The Boltons

**I just want to say thanks to those who reviewed! So i decided to put up another chapter because i was feelin inspired lol...anyway enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything although owning Zac Efron would be nice...**

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The next few days flew by quickly and before Gabriella knew it they were saying goodbye to their house and hometown. 

"Bye Betty! I'll miss you, yeah call me whenever." Chanel was nearly in tears as she bid goodbye to her friends. Dan, Chanel's boyfriend, wouldn't even look at Chanel. Instead he came and sat next to Gabriella. His blonde hair was gelled up in spikes and he was dressed in a simple shirt and jeans. He kept on looking over at Chanel and smiling as if he were remembering something.

"You know you can always call her or even e-mail her." Gabriella said. Dan looked a bit startled and turned to face Gabriella. He studied her face and then to Gabriella's surprise, he smiled.

"Yeah well we all know she'll forget about me after a week or so." Dan looked down sadly. His eyes were slightly read and puffy indicating that he had cried. Gabriella felt somewhat sorry for him.

"That's not true. All she ever does is talk about you." She reassured him. Dan scoffed.

"She'll forget, trust me. When she went on holiday for a week she didn't call or write. There was no communication between us whatsoever. Sometimes I think that I'm just some kind of toy boy for her. She'll take advantage of me when she wants and sometimes it's like she doesn't even know me." Dan explained. Gabriella nodded not knowing what to say. There was nothing she could say to make him feel better. She just sat next to him in silence.

"Well I still think you should try to keep in touch. It's obvious that you care about her." Gabriella spoke, breaking the few minutes of silence. Dan nodded.

"Thanks. You know if I knew that you were this nice I would've talked to you ages ago. Now I feel bad for y'no all the names we called you and stuff. You're really nice." Dan gave Gabriella a huge grin. Gabriella found herself smiling back. She herself couldn't believe that the football captain was this heartfelt.

"Well there's no time like the present. And don't take it to heart, I mean I got used to the name-calling and all. It's nothing to worry about." Gabriella said. Dan pulled out a piece of paper and jotted down his number.

"You're right, there's no time like the present. I hope you'll call Gabriella." Dan said as he handed her the piece of paper. Gabriella smiled and nodded. What were the odds of her making a friend on the day she moved, nevertheless with the football captain?

"GABRIELLA!" Gabriella and Dan looked up and saw Celina yelling for her.

"Okay I have to go now. It was nice talking to you Dan, bye." Gabriella bid goodbye and ran off into the house. Dan watched her run away and smiled to himself. She was really something. He turned his attention to his own girlfriend whose face was read from crying. He ran over and pulled her into a hug.

Gabriella walked up to Celina who was waiting impatiently.

"Well it took you long enough. Your father is tired and he wants you to bring out the remainder of the luggage. So chop chop little lady." Celina told her. Gabriella nodded and ran into the house and up the stairs. She walked into her parent's room and picked up the bags that were on the bed. She dragged them down the stairs and out of the house. She loaded them into the car and then went to see if there was anything left. Gabriella walked through the empty house looking around for any bags. She looked at the bare walls that once portrayed pictures of her and her family. The rooms that were once full of things were now empty with noting left but the carpet and walls. As Gabriella walked through the house, many memories played like a film in her mind. She had spent her happiest and saddest moments in this house. Moments that made her laugh, cry and even frightened her. Gabriella walked upstairs and into her room. The pictures on the walls were now stripped off and her room was left cold and empty. Gabriella was going to miss her room and the days when she sat in complete serenity with nothing to worry about. Just staring out of the window. Looking out at the view ahead. That was another thing she would miss. Staring out of the window reflecting on her life. Wondering how it would've been if…if…

"Gabriella!" Celina yelled up the stairs. Gabriella snapped out of her thoughts and picked up her bag off the floor. She felt wet tears on her face and wiped them away before running down the stairs.

"God you took long." Celina complained. Gabriella forced a smile and mumbled a sorry as she got into the car. After a few minutes of waving goodbye and shedding a few tears the Montez family set off towards the airport.

**With Gabriella...**

It had been an hour and Gabriella was seated on the plane that was due to go to New Mexico. Chanel was sat next to her texting away feverishly. Gabriella sighed as she looked out of the small window next to her. Only a few more minutes and then she would leave this place for good.

"Excuse me ma'am, please turn off your mobile phone." An airhostess stopped by and tried to get Chanel to turn her mobile off.

"Daddy!" Chanel complained. Julio sighed and smiled sweetly at his daughter.

"Chanel, please listen." He said. Chanel pouted at him but he stood his ground. She made a face before switching her mobile phone off. She put it in her handbag and gave the hostess a fake smile. The hostess returned her smile and walked off mumbling under her breath. Gabriella laid back and relaxed as the pilot announced that they were taking off. She closed her eyes and fell asleep thinking of what life would be like in New Mexico.

**Albuquerque, New Mexico**

Troy Bolton walked into the home he shared with his parents. He threw his backpack onto the floor and fell onto the couch. He kicked his shoes off and grabbed the remote. He switched on the T.V and began to look for something to watch.

"Troy?" Lucille Bolton walked into the living carrying a plate of Mac and cheese. Troy sat up instantly and watched as his mother placed the plate in front of him.

"I thought you would be hungry." Lucille said as she watched her son dig in. Troy gave her a thumbs up and continued to eat.

"Well your father has a meeting today so he'll be back late. I've got to go to work." She placed a kiss on Troy's forehead and walked out of the room.

"Bye!" Troy yelled as he heard the front door close. He finished the remainder of his food and walked into the kitchen. He placed the plate in the sink and went back to watching T.V.

"Hey man!" Troy looked up and saw his best friend in the doorway.

"Hey Chad." Troy greeted him. Chad walked over a sat on the couch next to Troy. Chad and Troy had been best friends since ever. Their mothers were best friends and their fathers usually watched basketball and baseball games together. Both Chad and Troy were on the basketball team at East High. They were the captain and co-captain.

"So I heard you asked Taylor out today." Troy said. Chad smiled at him.

"Yeah…" He said dreamily. Troy laughed at the look on Chad's face.

"Wow, I guess she said yes. Considering the goofy grin you have on your face." Troy said. Chad nodded.

"Yeah man she's great." Troy shook his head and got up.

"Well it only took you around 5 years and a few hours to get her to say yes." Troy pretended to do the math in his head. Chad grabbed a cushion and threw it at him.

"I told you she wouldn't be able to resist me!" Chad said in defence. Troy laughed and made his way outside. Chad followed him onto the basketball court that was located in the Bolton's backyard. Troy picked up the ball and began to do some free throws.

"Whatever man." Troy said. Chad grabbed the ball off him.

"Well at least I've got a girl" Chad pointed out. Troy gave him a look before stealing the ball.

"Let it go man…let it go…" Troy advised. Chad shook his head.

"No way not until you get a girl!" Troy groaned. He hated it when Chad did this.

"Fine okay, I'll get a girl. Happy?" Troy gave in. Chad nodded his head and then stole the ball off Troy. That led to a game of one-on-one basketball between the two guys.

**With Gabriella...**

Gabriella stepped out of the airport in Albuquerque. She took a deep breath and took in some fresh air. Gabriella allowed herself to smile as her family made their way over to the taxi that was waiting for them. She looked out of the window as they made their way to their new house. The taxi pulled up in front of a huge house. Gabriella and her family got out of the taxi and looked at their surroundings. Their belongings had been bought over a couple of days back and all there was left to do was unpack. Gabriella and the rest of the family entered their new house.

"Okay you two go pick a room." Julio said to his daughters. Chanel ran up the stairs first and Gabriella followed.

"I want this one!" Chanel came out of the second biggest room in the house. Gabriella found herself and small but decent room. The best thing about it was that it had a balcony. She opened the doors to the balcony and looked out at the view. She smiled as she saw two guys playing basketball in the neighbour's backyard. She walked back into her room and began to unpack. Gabriella had a strong feeling that she would fit in here.

**With Troy...**

"Dude! Dude!" Chad nudged Troy who looked like he was in some kind of trance.

"Did you see that girl?" Troy asked Chad. Chad grinned.

"No but considering the look on your face, you did." Chad said. Troy have him a small smile before shooting the ball into the basket. He missed.

"Whoa dude that must be some girl if she caused you to miss the basket." Chad exclaimed. Troy gave him a look and through the ball into the hoop again. This time he got it in.

"Phew…I was worried for a moment." Chad looked relieved. Troy shook his head and walked into the house. He looked at the neighbour's house once again hoping to get a glimpse of the girl but she was gone. Troy tried to hide his disappointment and went into the house.

**With Gabriella...**

"Gabriella!" Gabriella rushed downstairs. Celina was standing in the hallway with a mop.

"Clean the kitchen floor. Now!" She ordered Gabriella. Gabriella nodded and grabbed the mop. She made her way into the kitchen and began to mop the floor.

"Oh my God!" Chanel walked into the kitchen.

"Mom have you seen the boy next door-" Chanel stopped when she saw Gabriella.

"Where's mom?" She asked. Gabriella pointed towards the living room and Chanel ran out of the kitchen. Gabriella sighed. Sounded like Chanel liked the boy next door. Dan was right. Only he thought that it would take Chanel a week to forget him but she was over him in a matter of hours. Gabriella felt sorry for Dan and for the boy next door. He looked nice and probably didn't deserve what was coming.

"Okay Gabriella I need you to do me a favour!" Chanel ran into the room. She handed Gabriella a piece of paper.

"What's this?" She asked. Chanel gave her a look.

"An invitation silly. Just post it." Chanel gave her a fake smile and the walked off. Gabriella sighed and put the mop away. She walked out of the house and up to the house next door. She was just about to post the paper when the door opened. She came face to face with a boy.

"Hi…" She said shyly. Troy looked at the girl standing in front of him. It was her, the girl on the balcony. He jumped up and down with joy on the inside.

"Hey." He answered. Gabriella looked at her feet.

"So…?" Troy said. Gabriella looked up and their eyes met. Gabriella heard the sounds of fireworks go off in the background. Troy looked at Gabriella unable to speak. She was beautiful.

"Urm…I…" Gabriella struggled to get some words out. She would've preferred to just stare at him. She looked down at the paper in her hands.

"Urm an invitation." She blurted out and ran off. Troy just stared at her still unable to speak. He looked down at the paper in his hands. An invitation to dinner at night. Troy smiled and shut the door. He went back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Chad emerged from the kitchen holding a packet of crisps.

"Dude…Troy!" Chad yelled. Troy jumped up in surprise.

"Man you got that same look on your face. The one you had when you saw that girl." Troy smiled at the memory of seeing Gabriella.

"Oh man you saw her again!" Chad exclaimed. Troy nodded whilst grinning.

"You are so whipped. You don't even know her and you're whipped. Oh did you get the coke?" Chad asked. Troy shook his head.

"Dude!" Chad complained. Troy couldn't care less. All he was thinking about was the girl and the dinner tonight.

**The Montez household...**

Gabriella rushed into the house and closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath and sighed.

"Did you post it?" Chanel asked. Gabriella nodded and made her way upstairs.

"Fabulous." She heard Chanel say. Gabriella sighed and went into her room closing the door behind her. Tonight's dinner was going to be awkward. Gabriella sighed as she sat on her bed. The image of the boy next door flashed in her mind. Gabriella groaned. Why did he have to be so good looking? It would make this whole thing so much easier. Gabriella sighed and get up. She knew there was a lot to do before the dinner and she was certain that she would have to do all of it. She walked out of her room and got to work.

**With Troy...**

Troy looked in the mirror. He wore a simple white shirt with some black trousers and his favourite sneakers. Troy still didn't like what he saw.

"Urgh!" He groaned and sat on his bed.

"Troy come on…" Lucille walked into her son's room. She found him sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.

"Hey…what's up?" Lucille asked. Troy looked up and sighed.

"Nothing." He said. Lucille gave him a small smile.

"Well whatever it is I'm sure you'll find a way to make it all right. By the way you look great." Lucille complimented her son. Troy's face lit up and he gave his mother a smile.

"Thanks mom." He thanked her. Lucille laughed.

"No problem, now let's go." Lucille said. Troy grabbed his jacket and followed his mother out. Jack was waiting for them and the three walked over to the house next door. They rang the doorbell and waited for someone to open the door. Inside Chanel was jumping up and down.

"He's here!" She said as she ran to get the door. She opened the door and the Bolton family was stood in front of her. Troy took one look at Chanel and frowned. She looked different. What he didn't know was that he was looking at the wrong twin.

"Hello my name's Chanel." Chanel extended her hand and Jack shook it.

"I'm Jack, Jack Bolton. That's Lucille my wife and that's Troy my son." Jack introduced his family. Chanel smiled a Troy flirtatiously. She stepped back and the Bolton's entered the Montez household.

"Hello there, I'm Celina, that's Julio and these are my daughters Chanel…and Gabriella." Celina introduced the Montez family. Troy looked over to see who Gabriella was and he nearly fainted. Gabriella saw the look on his face and giggled.

"Yeah we're twins." She said. Lucille looked at Troy and smiled. Somehow she knew that Gabriella was the reason why Troy was so upset before.

"So did I talk to her…or you?" Troy asked. Gabriella felt her face go red as Troy looked at her.

"M-me…" She stuttered. Troy smiled and Gabriella returned it. Somehow she knew that this dinner was going to be interesting.

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Next chapter will be the dinner so look out for it. hopefully i'll get it up next week or even tomorrow but don't get your hopes up! school's back on monday so i'll be busy there anyway byee (p.s. review please!)**


	3. The Dinner

**Well here is the long-awaited third chapter of My Cinderella Story. Sorry for the late post but i've been busy with school work.. anyway enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Oh what's the point? It's not as if i own anything!**

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The Bolton family and the Montez family were seated at the dining table. Jack and Julio sat at either end of the table so they were facing each other. Lucille sat down next to Troy and Chanel quickly grabbed the seat beside him. Gabriella sat opposite Troy with Celina. 

"Wow this looks great." Jack said as he looked at the food that was laid out on the table. Jack was always a sucker for a good meal. Especially after coming home from a meeting or one of his basketball practises. Jack was the basketball coach at East High and he'd worked with a couple of teams at the U of A.

"Well me and Chanel worked hard to make it all so don't hold back." Celina took all the credit for making the dinner. Gabriella sighed, it had taken her hours to make the food and yet her mother and her sister took all the credit. She decided to let it go because it wasn't as if the Bolton's needed to know who really cooked the dinner. For all they knew Celina and Chanel could have ordered it from a restaurant or take-away.

"Well let's not waste time by looking at it. Dig in everyone." Julio said as he grabbed a plate and began loading food onto it. Jack rubbed his hands hungrily and began loading food onto his own plate. Lucille grabbed a plate for herself and for Troy. She placed a little bit of everything on it and passed the plate to Troy.

"Thanks mom." Troy thanked his mother. Gabriella smiled as she watched Troy interact with his mother. It looked like they were really close. Closer than she'd ever be with Celina.

"Gabriella…aren't you going to eat?" Lucille asked the young girl sat opposite to her.

"Urm…yeah just a little." Gabriella grabbed a plate and placed as little food as she could onto it. Celina watched Gabriella and scowled.

" That's enough Gabriella. You're on that diet _remember_?" Celina gave Gabriella a look. Gabriella dropped the spoon she was holding and looked at Celina. She was giving Gabriella a small unnoticeable glare.

"Oh urm yeah I forgot…sorry." Gabriella looked down and ate what was on her plate. Celina smiled with satisfaction and began to eat the food on her own plate.

"So Troy what do you do? I mean a guy like you must be good at some sort of sport. Football? Baseball?" Chanel launched into a conversation with Troy. Troy just gave her a look as she batted her eyelashes at him.

"Urm I play basketball actually." Troy replied.

"Troy's the captain of the East High Wildcats and pretty good one at that. Obviously it has nothing to do with the fact that I'm the coach. Troy's always got his head in the game, no matter what. " Jack added. Lucille gave him a look and sighed. Jack loved to boast about Troy's basketball skills.

"True but he shines in other area's as well." Lucille said, " Well enough about Troy what do Gabriella and Chanel do well in?" She asked the girls.

"Well I used to be a cheerleader at my old school. That and the president of the drama club." Chanel said, Troy made a face, another drama queen to add to his list.

"And what about you Gabriella?" Lucille asked.

"Urm I'm good at English, Math, Science…" Gabriella said.

"That's good but what about extra curricular activities?" Lucille wanted to know more.

"Urm I like to do dance and urm I guess I'm good at singing and I love music." Gabriella said. Chanel made a face.

"She doesn't really sing, its just one of her fantasies." Chanel said. Gabriella looked down. She didn't like where the conversation was going.

"She mostly keeps to herself and is a loner at school and stuff. I keep on telling her to talk to the other kids but she never listens." Chanel carried on. Troy looked at her amazed at how she could talk about her own twin sister like that. He looked over at Gabriella and saw how embarrassed she looked.

"Well I'm sure Gabriella has her reasons for doing that." Troy said. He looked over at Gabriella and saw that she had a small smile on her face. Chanel scowled.

"Yeah, yeah." She mumbled. Celina gave her a small warning glare to shut up.

"So Lucille what do you do for a living?" Celina diverted the conversation to something else. Lucille finished the last of her meal and wiped the ends of her lips with a napkin.

"Well I work in a children's home. It's not much of a job but I love to make kids happy and finding them a good home is one way to do that. I've even got Troy coming along and helping out. The kids adore him." Lucille said. Troy blushed a little.

"That's wonderful." Celina said. Lucille gave her a smile.

"Gabriella would you mind getting the dessert from the kitchen." Celina said. Gabriella nodded knowing that it was more of an order than a question.

"I'll help." Troy said getting up from his seat.

"No it's alright I think Gabriella can manage." Chanel added. She didn't want Troy to go anywhere.

"No I want to help." Troy said as he followed Gabriella into the kitchen. Lucille smiled as the pair walked away. She knew for sure that Gabriella was the only reason why Troy offered to help. Otherwise he would've sat and waited like everyone else. Chanel looked at the kitchen door and scowled. She stayed put and sulked as the grown-ups launched into a conversation about politics and whatnot.

**With Gabriella and Troy…**

They walked into the kitchen in silence. Gabriella walked over to the fridge and looked around for the dessert.

"Urm where are the spoons and such?" Troy asked. Gabriella looked up and pointed to a draw.

"Thanks." Troy thanked her and he began to take out some plates and spoons. Gabriella lifted the huge iced cake that was in the fridge.

"Wow." Troy said as he set his eyes on the dessert.

"My family likes everything…big." Gabriella said. Troy smiled.

"I can see that." He replied. Gabriella gave him a small smile before searching the kitchen draws for a knife.

"You know, you're awfully quiet for a girl." Troy spoke. Gabriella gave him a confused look as she continued to search for the knife.

"You don't talk period. I mean all you do is make those facial expressions and somehow I can tell what you're trying to say. Plus no talk is better than talking non-stop like your sister. I mean doesn't she ever shut up!" Troy exclaimed. Gabriella let out a small giggle. Troy chuckled, he liked it when she laughed.

"All throughout the dinner she was whispering to me. As if she was my-my girlfriend!" Troy shuddered at the thought. Gabriella let out a laugh.

"Well that's Chanel for you. She always throws herself at guys…oops!" Gabriella put her hand over her mouth. Why did she say that out aloud? She was never allowed to badmouth anyone especially someone from her family. Troy looked at her in confusion.

"What's wrong? You look all panicky." He asked with a lot of concern in his voice. Gabriella shook her head.

"N-nothing, just urm nothing…" She mumbled. Then they heard someone clear their throat.

"Ahem, Troy and _Gabriella_ Mom said to hurry up with that dessert." The pair turned around to see Chanel standing in the doorway. Chanel sent Gabriella a glare and Gabriella's face turned pale.

"How-how long have y-you been standing there?" Gabriella asked. Chanel smirked.

"Long enough." She replied. Gabriella looked down and took a deep breath. She picked up the dessert and the knife she had found and took it into the dining room. She flew past Troy without saying a word.

"C'mon Troy." Chanel said in a flirtatious voice. Troy gave her a small forced smile and picked up his plates and spoons and followed her into the dining table.

Gabriella placed the cake and the knife on the table.

"Wow! That's huge!" Jack exclaimed. Lucille looked a bit taken aback as well. The cake was rather big to have for a dessert.

"I must say the cake looks like it could feed hundreds." Lucille commented.

"Well-urm Gabriella picked it out. She just couldn't resist. Besides none of us were with her and she, being the clumsy girl she is, bought the wrong one." Celina said. Gabriella looked down and mumbled a sorry whilst cursing Celina under her breath.

"Now, now Gabriella, no need to say sorry. It's all right. No harm done so just forget it." Lucille said. Gabriella looked up and gave her a smile. By then Troy and Chanel had returned with Chanel attached to Troy's arm. Troy placed the plates and spoons on the table with a bit of difficulty seeing as Chanel hadn't let go of his arm.

"There you go." Troy said as he unattached his arm from Chanel's and sat down next to his mother. He looked over at Gabriella and their eyes met. He gave her a small smile and wink that she gladly returned. This didn't go unnoticed by Chanel.

"Okay then, let's have some dessert!" Julio added. He handed out plates to everyone and placed a piece of cake on them. Lucille made sure Troy had a reasonably big piece and Celina made sure that Gabriella had a small piece.

"Shouldn't she be eating more than that? I mean she is too skinny for a girl at her age. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was starving herself." Lucille said. Celina smiled forcefully at her and then loaded some more cake onto Gabriella's plate.

"That's enough thanks." Gabriella said. Celina dropped the spoon and went about eating her own cake.

**Half an hour later…**

"Yum…" Jack said as he wiped his face with a napkin. "That was a delicious meal Celina."

"Thank you Jack." Celina said. Lucille smiled.

"I think that it was nice of you and Chanel to make all of this for us. Thank you." Lucille thanked them. Chanel smiled proudly and Celina did the same.

"Well I hear that there's a baseball game on tonight!" Julio said looking at Jack.

"Well you know what that's exactly what I heard!" Jack exclaimed as the two men got up to go and sit in the living room. Celina and Lucille rolled their eyes.

"Men…" Both women mumbled under their breath.

"So why don't we go and wash these dishes while the kids get to know each other?" Lucille offered. Celina scowled for a second and then smiled.

"That'll be great." She said as Lucille picked up some plates.

Soon the table was cleared and all that was left were the three teens.

"Well see you Gabriella." Chanel said to Gabriella. Gabriella got up and made her way upstairs. Tory watched her walk away.

"Okay, so what do you want to do first tiger?" Chanel said whilst running her fingers up and down Troy's arm. Troy shifted uncomfortably and then moved himself away from Chanel.

"Maybe a tour of the house?" He suggested hoping that she would agree. Chanel scowled but accepted straight away.

"And off we go!" She said as she took Troy by the hand and led him upstairs.

"Since you've already seen the bottom half of the house. I thought we'd start with the top. That includes my bedroom." Chanel winked at Troy. Troy smiled uncomfortably. Chanel led him to one of the rooms.

"This is Mom and Dad's room." She showed him the first room. It was fairly large with a lot of paintings pinned up on the walls.

"Why are there-" Troy was being pulled away before he could even finish his question.

"This is the bathroom. Well the upstairs one." Chanel let out a roar of laughter. Troy stood in one place watching her as she laughed her head off.

_I'm tellin' you to loosen up my buttons babe (Uh huh)  
But you keep frontin' (Uh)  
Sayin' what you gon' do to me (Uh huh)  
But I see nothin' (Uh) _

"One minute." Chanel excused herself as she answered her call. She walked off into a different direction leaving Troy standing in the middle of the hallway. Troy sighed and began to explore the house himself. He walked in the same direction that Chanel took off in. 

"Yeah and he so shouldn't have done that…oh my God! A new girl already? What a-" Troy shook his head as he heard Chanel talking on her phone. Typical drama queen. He walked over to the last door in the hallway and knocked.

"Come in." He heard someone say. Tory opened the door to reveal Gabriella sitting on a beanbag reading some sort of book.

"Hey." Troy said. Gabriella looked up.

"Hi." She replied. They looked at each other for a couple of seconds.

"Can I c-come in?" Troy asked breaking the staring fiesta.

"Y-yeah sure. By all means come in." Gabriella said as she tried to gather her words. Troy stepped into her room and smiled. It was lovely. The walls were painted lilac and had some pictures stuck to them. There was a bookcase on one side containing a lot of books and on the other side were a desk and a chair. The desk was neat and tidy and completely organised. Gabriella's room had a small balcony. Troy smiled realising that she was standing on that balcony when he first saw her. Troy broke out of his trance and sat at the end of Gabriella's bed.

"So…" He said.

"Urm…I…" Gabriella replied. Troy laughed a little.

"You know they're the exact words you said when you came to my house." Troy said. Gabriella smiled.

"Yeah they were. Well I hope we've gone past that phase." She said Troy smiled.

"So what you reading?" He asked pointing to her book.

"Oh urm it's one of the Mediator books." Gabriella said. Troy looked confused.

"The what?" He asked. Gabriella closed her book.

"It's a series of fictional books written by Meg Cabot. It's about a young girl, Susannah Simon, who can see ghosts. Like a mediator. It's a good series." Gabriella explained. Troy nodded.

"Well looks like you like reading." He said pointing at her bookcase. Gabriella smiled.

"Yeah well it helps keep my mind off things. Books are great. They take you to a whole other world a place where you can imagine yourself being somewhere else and not…well…not here." Gabriella said.

"Wow that was deep." Troy said and Gabriella laughed. Troy smiled and walked over to the wall covered in pictures. Some were off families, some of Gabriella alone. Some where just actors and such.

"Nice pictures." He commented as he looked at one, which showed Gabriella in the middle of a dance move.

"Thanks." She said as she got up and went to stand beside him.

"I think it's cool that you dance and looking at your pictures it looks like you dance pretty well." Troy complimented her. Gabriella blushed slightly.

"Well I have more…if you want to see them." Gabriella suggested. Troy nodded and went to sit on the bed as Gabriella took out a photo album containing pictures that were taken by some people at her dance classes. She sat next to Troy on the bed and opened the album.

**With Jack and Julio…**

The two men sat in the living room talking about the game.

"That was great!" Jack exclaimed. Julio nodded.

"So you play baseball?" Jack asked. Julio shook his head.

"Afraid not. I only like watching baseball. As a matter of fact that's the only thing I can do in baseball. Watch it." He said as he laughed along with Jack.

"Well you're exactly like me then, a fanatic in baseball but only in watching it. The only sport I'm good at is basketball." Jack said.

"Well you know what so am I. I used to play all the time with Gabriella. I mean Chanel used to play at times but then she just stopped." Julio sighed.

"I used to play with Troy when he was younger and I still do. Why did you stop playing with Gabriella? In fact why don't we play now?" Jack suggested. Julio shook his head.

"No-no. Me and Gabriella we just drifted apart. She got involved in all her…girl stuff. Plus then Celina had come so she didn't want the girls to behave like boys. Especially Chanel." Julio said. Jack looked confused.

"What do you mean when Celina came? Wasn't she already here considering that she's the girls mother?" Jack said. Julio looked down. He shouldn't have said that last part. He shouldn't have said anything about the past. Celina would have his head if he did. She didn't like talking about things that were before her.

"Nothing. Let's just see what else is on TV." Julio said as he began to channel surf. Jack sat back and thought for a moment. Why was Julio being so secretive and what did he mean by when Celina had come? Jack snapped out of his thoughts as Julio found another game on. It was basketball this time. Jack sat back and enjoyed the game forgetting all about the conversation before hand.

**With Lucille and Celina…**

"Well that's that." Lucille said as she dried off the last plate. Celina let out a sigh of relief. She had never done so much work before.

"What's wrong with you?" Lucille said as she watched Celina take a breather. "It's as if you've never washed dishes before." Lucille added. Celina groaned, that was a true fact she had never washed so many dishes before in fact she had never washed any dishes in these past few years.

"Well it was a big dinner and big dinner's always end up with big amounts of washing up to do." Celina said. Lucille nodded and laughed.

"It was a great dinner. Jack enjoyed it a lot." Lucille said as she recalled Jack stuffing the food down his face as if he had never eaten before.

"And what about Troy?" Celina asked. Troy was the only reason they had called for this dinner. Chanel suggested it in fact she demanded it.

"I think he enjoyed the food. But he enjoyed talking to your daughter the most." Lucille added. Celina smiled. She knew that Chanel would get what she wanted.

"Well our Chanel does have a way with words." Celina said proudly. Lucille looked at her in confusion.

"Chanel? Oh no I was talking about Gabriella." Lucille informed her. Celina's smile dropped.

"I think that Troy likes her. Well I know that he likes her otherwise he wouldn't have been so helpful at dinner." Lucille laughed. Celina laughed along but she cursed Gabriella inside.

"Well he is a lovely boy. One of my girls was bound to like him." Celina said as if she were proud of her daughter. Lucille nodded.

"Well let's go see what the men are up to. Hopefully they'll be sitting down and enjoying the game peacefully." Lucille said as she followed Celina into the living room. When they reached the room they heard loud whooping sounds and slapping of hands.

"Go on!" Jack shouted.

"Yeah man that hoop was awesome." Julio commented. Celina rolled her eyes.

"Or maybe they'll be acting like two kids." She said. Lucille nodded and went to sit down next to Jack. Celina did the same but sat next to Julio. She grabbed the remote and switched of the TV.

"Oh I was watching that!" Julio whinged. Celina gave him a small glare and he shut up.

"Well we can see who wears the pants in this family." Lucille whispered to Jack who laughed in return. The two couples sat and chatted about life and work.

**With Chanel…**

"She was so flirting with him. Giggling and whatnot." Chanel said. She had been on the phone for quite a while now.

"But Betty he's so cute and so my type. Although I need to get him to talk more-" Chanel said. She stopped talking as she heard a loud thud coming from outside. Holding the phone to her ear she walked out of her room. She heard giggling coming from Gabriella's room.

"Betty I'll call you back." She said as she hung up. Chanel tiptoed over to Gabriella's room and pressed her ear to the door.

"Troy stop! Stop!" She heard Gabriella say. That was followed with more laughter. Chanel's blood started to boil. Troy was in that room with the tart known as her twin sister.

""How dare she…" Chanel whispered. She opened the door and walked in on a tickle fest. Gabriella and Toy were both on the bed. Troy was positioned on top of Gabriella and his hands were placed on her stomach. They turned to face a very angry Chanel.

"What do you think you're doing?" Chanel asked. Directing the question to Gabriella than to Troy. Troy felt Gabriella tense up beneath him.

"It was my fault. I started it." Troy took the blame. Chanel glared at Gabriella and then smiled at Troy.

"Well why didn't you say so." She said. Troy got off Gabriella and then helped her get up. The pair sorted themselves out and then walked downstairs with Chanel trailing behind.

"Ah Troy we were just about to call you." Lucille said as she saw her son walk in followed by a flustered Gabriella and a very angry looking Chanel.

"Yeah we should be going now." Jack said as he stood up. The Montez family and the Bolton family made their way over to the front door. Lucille hugged Celina, then Gabriella and then Chanel.

"Thank you for the lovely dinner." She said. Jack shook hands with Julio, as did Troy. He let his eyes linger on Gabriella for a moment and flashed her a smile. Gabriella smiled back and mouthed the word 'bye'. Troy said 'bye' back. The Bolton family made their way out and Gabriella came face to face with her angry sister.

**The Bolton household…**

"That was nice." Lucille said as they entered the Montez household. Jack smiled as he took off his jacket.

"Yeah it was. Julio is a great guy and Celina is an awesome cook." Jack complimented the Montez family. Troy just smiled all the way through changing into his night T-shirt and shorts. All the way through brushing his teeth (that kept them pearly white). All the way up to going to bed. Lucille laughed as she watched her son daydream.

"Well I think someone had a better time then us." Lucille pointed to Troy who was dreamily making his way up to his room.

"Yeah Gabriella has had a big effect on him." Jack said. He liked that family and he was positive that Troy had a thing for Gabriella. Jack put his arms around Lucille as they walked up to their room.

"It was a great night." Was the last words said as they closed their bedroom door and fell asleep.

**The Montez household…**

"You stupid little girl!" Celina smacked Gabriella around the face.

"You made us look bad! With all your pigging out and innocent looks." Celina screamed. She pushed Gabriella up against the wall and punched her in the stomach. Gabriella cried out in pain. It didn't help that it was her time of month.

"Stop…please!" Gabriella cried out. There were now tears falling down her cheeks.

"Oh the little baby wants us to stop. We won't!" Chanel added pulling Gabriella by the hair. Gabriella struggled in her grasp.

"You decided to be friendly with Troy, how dare you!" Chanel shouted as she kicked Gabriella. Celina picked her up and threw her across the room. Gabriella landed with a thud on the living room floor. She had hit her head pretty hard and there was a line of blood running down her face.

"That's enough for now but next time you watch out." Celina pulled Chanel away and they walked off.

"Oh yeah clean this mess up!" Celina said as she walked away. Gabriella tried to stand up. Every part of her body ached. She winced in pain as she tried to walk up the stairs. She barely made it onto her bed and then she collapsed. She pulled herself onto the bed and touched her stomach. It was hurting like crazy. Gabriella laid her head on her pillow and began to cry. Cry for her life, for her freedom and for her family that had been corrupted ever since Celina came. Gabriella remembered the days she would play basketball with Julio and Chanel would sit on the sidelines keeping score. How Julio would always let her win and how she would let him win on his birthday and Christmas. Gabriella cried even more thinking about all these happy memories.

**

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Hope you enjoyed it! Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome. oh and if you have any ides on big drama just let me know...it'll help! Thank you and remember review!**


	4. Best Friends

**Well i thought i'd let you have another chapter this week but unfotunately the next will will be up by next Friday. so enjoy this one!**

**Disclaimer: don't own any movies or songs basically nothing!**

* * *

Gabriella woke the next morning and the first thing she saw was Celina.

"I thought I told you to clean up that mess last night?" Celina said. Gabriella sat up. Her body began to tremble. She kicked herself for forgetting to clean up.

"I'm s-sorry…" Gabriella said. Celina threw her head back in a roar of laughter.

"Sorry? Sorry? Little missy sorry doesn't cut it! I told you to do something and you didn't do it! Sorry doesn't make that stupid blood- your stupid blood- come off my clean carpet!" Celina yelled. She smacked Gabriella across the face.

"You deserve it. If it hurts then that's even better!" Celina said as she stormed out of the room. Gabriella touched her cheek and sighed. It hurt a lot but it wasn't anything new. At least it wasn't the same as last night. Gabriella tried her best to get up but her body was still hurting. She took in a deep breath and used all her strength to get up. She grabbed a towel and made her way towards the bathroom. She locked the door and switched the shower on. She took off her clothes and gasped as she saw the bruises over her body. It was never this bad, sure there were a few marks here and there but not huge black bruises like the ones she was seeing now. Gabriella's eyes filled with tears but she refused to let them fall. She gathered her strength and stepped under the shower. The mixture of hot and cold water ran over her body touching each and every corner of her body. She relaxed as the water ran over her cuts and bruises making the pain go away.

She gave herself a good long shower and washed her hair. Gabriella stepped out and wrapped a towel around her. She walked back into her own room and towards her closet. She opened the door and looked for something nice to wear. She took out a black Lurex stripe top and a pair of skinny jeans. She wore her black ballet flats and began to blow dry her hair. She was in the middle of drying it when Chanel burst into the room.

"Mom wants you downstairs now." Chanel said. Gabriella turned to look at her twin sister. She was dressed in a black sequin cami and some black bootcut jeans. On her feet she wore some black satin strappy sandals.

"Where are you going?" Gabriella asked. Chanel smiled.

"One of mom's friends invited us for dinner…but you're not invited. So get your lazy self downstairs now!" Chanel told her. Gabriella winced and then followed her sister downstairs. Celina was standing at the bottom of the stairs tapping her foot impatiently. Gabriella looked at Celina who was wearing a foil V back dress. She looked like she was going to a party rather than a formal dinner. She tapped her platform sandals on the floor as Gabriella stood in front of her.

"I've been waiting for ages! Where the hell were you?" Celina screamed. She waited for Gabriella to answer.

"I-I was u-upstairs in t-the shower." She stuttered. Celina glared at her.

"Upstairs? In the shower? What a silly excuse. Next time you'd better have a good explanation!" Celina exclaimed. Gabriella nodded.

"Now, me, Chanel and your father are going out. You are to stay at home and well clean. Not like you have anywhere to go anyway. So get on with it." Celina instructed her.

"B-but I was going to go find a bookstore today…." She closed her mouth as soon as she finished speaking. Celina slapped her across the face.

"How dare you try and speak back!" She exclaimed.

"B-but…" Gabriella stopped because Celina raised her hand as if she was warning Gabriella.

"Just stay at home." She said. Gabriella nodded and stayed quiet. Julio came down the stairs wearing a suit and tie. Celina smiled lovingly at her husband.

"You look great Julio." Celina complimented his look. Julio smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He looked at Chanel and smiled.

"My girl is getting bigger by the minute." He said. Chanel smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. His eyes wandered over to Gabriella and he frowned. He ignored her and began to sort himself out. Gabriella swore she saw a flash of guilt and pity in his eyes. Well anyone would take pity upon Gabriella if they saw her bruises. Gabriella sighed and looked down. Seemed like she was doing a lo of that lately.

"Well then we're off!" Celina cried happily. Julio smiled and went to start the car. Chanel picked up her oversized clutch handbag and checked her appearance before walking out. Celina did the same and gave Gabriella a final glare before walking out herself. Gabriella was left alone in the house. She smiled and put on some music. She danced away to the music as she cleaned.

**The Bolton household…**

Troy awoke the next morning with a smile plastered on his face.

"Gabriella…" He whispered to himself. He jumped out of bed and made his way into the bathroom.

After going to the toilet, washing his face and brushing his teeth he came out and began to look for something nice to wear. He picked up a red Diesel logo shirt out from his closet and grabbed a pair of jeans to go with it. He brushed his hair and then made his way downstairs.

"Morning mom." He said as he walked into the kitchen. He gave Lucille a peck on the cheek as he sat down at the kitchen counter.

"Hey Troy. Had a good sleep?" Lucille asked.

"Yeah. The best I've ever had." He answered with a dreamy look on his face. Lucille laughed and placed a plate of eggs and bacon in front of Troy. Troy made a face.

"Mom would it kill you to just give me some cereal?" He asked. Lucille gave him a look and Troy groaned. He knew what was coming next.

"Tory you're a growing boy and you play basketball all the time. That means you need-" Lucille began.

"Need some good food in you. Yeah I know I know." Troy interrupted her. Lucille smiled and then went about washing the dishes. Troy dug into his breakfast knowing that if he didn't eat it on his own then his mother would feed him forcefully. He began to chew and watch what his mother was doing. Two minutes later Jack burst into the room.

"Luce Julio just called. He goes that there's some kind of brunch going on today. He said it would be great if we could make it. After that there's some kind of formal party." Jack announced. Lucille stopped washing the dishes and turned to face her husband.

"Sounds nice." She said.

"Yeah it does. Besides Celina and Chanel are going as well." Jack announced. Troy gave his father a confused look.

"What about Gabriella?" He asked. Jack thought for a moment.

"I don't really know. All Julio said to me was that she wasn't up to coming. Maybe she's sick." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. Troy nodded and went back to eating his breakfast.

"Okay then I'll go get ready." Lucille said as she took off the washing up gloves.

"Troy could you dry the dishes for me please?" She asked her son. Troy nodded.

"Thanks honey." Lucille said as she gave him a peck on the cheek. She walked out of the room and Jack looked at his son.

"What about you? Up for a formal dinner and such?" Jack asked. Troy thought for a moment, another night of Chanel whispering in his ear and following him around like a lost puppy. Troy shuddered at the thought.

"No thanks." He replied. Jack nodded and followed Lucille up the stairs. Troy finished eating his breakfast and went to dry the dishes. He thought about how he would spend his day. If Gabriella's family was gone then he could go visit her.

Lucille walked down the stairs 20 minutes later wearing a jewelled trim keyhole dress. Jack took her hand and kissed it.

"You look great." He said. Lucille smiled. Just then Troy walked into the room.

"Dad when is this whole party thing going to finish." Troy asked.

"Julio said at about midnight. So you'll be okay until then right?" Jack asked. Troy smiled.

"Yeah I'll be perfectly fine." He answered.

"Okay then we're off." Jack said as he ruffled up Troy's hair. Troy groaned and tried to sort his hair out. Lucille laughed and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Be good." She told him. Troy nodded and opened the front door for his parents. As soon as they were gone Troy locked the door behind him and made his way over t Gabriella's house. He opened the gate leading to the Montez house and made his way over to the front door. He was just about to knock when he heard a faint singing voice. Troy was a very curious boy so he tried to follow the voice. He walked around to the back of the house where he found the back door wide open.

_I hope you know, I hope you know  
That this has nothing to do with you  
It's personal, Myself and I  
We've got some straightenin' out to do  
And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket  
But I've got to get a move on with my life  
Its time to be a big girl now  
And big girls don't cry  
Don't cry  
Don't cry  
Don't cry__  
_

Troy walked into the house and listened as that beautiful voice echoed through the house. He followed the voice and found himself looking at Gabriella. She was sitting neat the toilet scrubbing it clean. There was a radio positioned on the windowsill and Gabriella was singing along to the song that was playing.

The path that I'm walking  
I must go alone  
I must take the baby steps until I'm full grown  
Fairytales don't always have a happy ending, do they  
And I foresee the dark ahead if I stay

He listened to her sing. Somehow it was really soothing. Gabriella smiled as she sang along to one of her favourite songs. She turned around and nearly fainted.

"T-troy?" She said. Troy snapped out of his trance and smiled.

"Hey." He said. Gabriella got up and turned the volumes of the radio down.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked. Troy shrugged.

"A while." He replied. Gabriella nodded and looked at the wipes she was holding in her hands. Troy followed her gaze and laughed.

"Chores?" He asked and Gabriella nodded.

"But I'm done now." She replied and got rid of the wipes and other cleaning products. Troy watched as she took off the gloves and washed her hands. She then removed the apron revealing her black clothes and petite body. She smiled at Troy.

"So how did you get in?" She asked. Troy pointed towards the backdoor.

"You know you shouldn't leave that open. God knows who could have come." Troy said. Gabriela nodded and walked past him. Troy followed her as she went to lock the back door.

"Well that's that." She said. Gabriella led Troy into the living room and they sat down on the couch.

"So what were you planning to do today?" Troy asked.

"Nothing really." Gabriella replied.

"Great cause that's exactly the same thing that I'm planning on doing." Troy said. Gabriella smiled and then went over to the TV.

"What about watching some movies?" Gabriella suggested.

"Good. You got popcorn?" Troy asked. Gabriella nodded and Troy made his way into the kitchen.

A few minutes later Troy returned with a bowl full of popcorn. He sat down next to Gabriella.

"So what did you pick?" He asked hoping that she wouldn't pick a chick flick.

"Well I was going to go with The Notebook but then I thought that you would hate it. So thought I'd go with Saw III." Gabriella told him. Troy nodded and sat next to her. Gabriella pressed play and the movie began.

**An hour later…**

Gabriella hid her face under the pillow.

"It's just a movie, it's just a movie." She whispered. She looked over at Troy who looked like he was enjoying the movie. Gabriella sighed. She hated scary movies but she didn't want to seem like a baby in front of Troy. She should've just told him. Gabriella hit herself on the head with a pillow and then looked up at the screen.

"Ew…" Troy said as he watched the horror scene play in front of him. He took a look over at Gabriella who was busy trying to hide her face.

"That's it." Troy said as he leaned over to grab the remote. He pressed stop and the movie stopped playing. Gabriella let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew…" She said as she sorted herself out.

"Why didn't you tell me to stop the film?" Troy asked as he got up to take the DVD out of the player. Gabriella thought for a moment.

"I didn't want you to think I was someone who got scared because of a silly film." Gabriella replied. Troy shook his head.

"Why would that matter?" He asked.

"I don't know…" Gabriella answered.

"Brie I came over so I could hang out with you. I can't do that if you don't tell me what you like or not." He said.

"Yeah but- wait- Brie?" She asked. Troy looked down.

"Yeah Brie." He said. Gabriella smiled. No one had ever called her by a nickname before.

"I like it." She said. Troy looked up and smiled.

"You know what so do I." He said as he began to lean in. somehow Gabriella felt herself lean in too. They were only a millimetre apart and then the doorbell rang. Both Troy and Gabriella jumped apart blushing like crazy.

"I'd better get that." Gabriella said as she got up and ran to answer the door. She looked out through the spy hole and saw her family standing outside.

"Troy." She said as she ran into the living room.

"What?" He asked noting her worried face.

"My parents are home. You have to go." She said. Troy nodded.

"Go out the back door." Gabriella said as she went to answer the door. Troy was just about to go out the backdoor when an idea sprung into his head. Instead of going out the back he ran up into Gabriella's room. Gabriella looked back to see Troy but he was gone. She opened the door and braced herself for what was to come.

"You took ages! What were you doing? Sleeping I bet! Lazy little girl…always sleeping never working like your sister and me!" Celina yelled as soon as Gabriella opened the door. Gabriella sighed; it was never 'are you okay' or just a simple hello.

"I guess I just fell asleep for a while." Gabriella said. Celina glared at her as she walked past. Gabriella let out a sigh of relief and closed the door.

"Man that was the most boring party I have ever been to." Chanel complained. Celina nodded in agreement.

"Well I for one think that it was great." Julio added in his own opinion.

"You only think that because you and Jack were talking about basketball and baseball non stop. We had to practically pry you away from each other." Celina said. Julio made a face at Celina when she turned her head. Chanel was busy texting so the only one who saw was Gabriella. He gave a look. Not a warning but more of a joking look. He smiled and winked and then made his was upstairs. Gabriella felt herself smile. At least she knew that her father wasn't all that bad. He was still the same dad who played basketball with her. Gabriella turned on her heels and made her way into her room. She switched on the light and closed the door. As soon as she turned around she saw a tall figure standing near her bookcase.

"Urm…" Gabriella tapped the person on the shoulder. The guy turned around and Gabriella let out a sigh of relief.

"Troy…phew." She said.

"Yes phew it's just me Brie." Troy laughed. Gabriella hit him on the arm playfully.

"I thought you left." She whispered.

"No…I wanted to say goodbye properly." Troy whispered back.

"By creeping into my room and nearly giving me a heart attack?" Gabriella teased.

"Well that wasn't my motive but you know…" Troy stopped as he received another whack on the arm from Gabriella.

"Brie it's only 4 and I have nothing to do!" Troy whinged. Gabriella shook her head and went to sit on her bed.

"Why don't you call your mates?" She asked.

"Well they're all busy." He replied. The pair sat in silence for a while.

"Tell me about them." Gabriella spoke first.

"About who?" Troy said confused.

"Your friends silly!" Gabriella replied.

"Oh right. Well there is Chad-" Troy began.

"The afro boy?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah him. He's my best friend. Been mates since ever really. Then there's his soon-to-be girlfriend-" Troy said.

"Soon to be?" Gabriella asked.

"Well he's been after her for a looong time now and she said yes to him a couple of days back. So they are soon-to-be. She's very smart and classy. Her name is Taylor. Next is Jason. He's cool, a bit dopey though. Then there's his girlfriend Kelsi who I see as my little sister, cause we are that close." Troy showed this with his fingers. He placed them so they were just a millimetre apart.

"Why not closer?" Gabriella asked.

"Cause I don't talk to her about some things. Moving on, there's Zeke. He bakes a lot. And it's really nice as well. Then there's Sharpay, your typical drama queen. Blonde hair too many sparkles. We dated for a while and then broke it off-" Troy explained.

"Why?" Gabriella asked.

"Well it didn't feel right, we are better off as friends. Then there's her twin brother Ryan and last but not least Martha. She's a great dancer. That's it. Oh wait one more!" Troy said. Gabriella waited for him to go on.

"She's really nice, very cute, she's great to talk to, a right laugh and she's sitting right in front if me." He finished. Gabriella smiled.

"Thanks, that was sweet." She said. Troy grinned.

"Your welcome. So what about you? Got any special friends back home?" He asked. Gabriella looked away.

"Well…urm…nope." She replied. Troy looked taken aback.

"No?" He said.

"Yeah I wasn't very sociable. I didn't mix with the rest of the kids. Besides Chanel always took the glory." She said sadly. Troy could see the social rejection in her eyes.

"Well you're not there anymore. You're here with me. And now you're my best friend." He said, Gabriella's face lit up.

"Yeah I said best friend. Chad can take a step back for a while." He explained. Gabriella flung her arms around him. Troy was surprised at first but then hugged her back.

"Gabriella!" Celina called for her. Gabriella tore away from Troy and jumped off the bed.

"You have to go." She said. Troy looked confused.

"Why it's only your mom." He said. Troy noticed the way Gabriella winced as he said the word mom.

"Yeah…but just go…" She said as she pushed him towards the balcony.

"Climb down safely." She said as she gave him one last hug. And before Troy knew it he was standing on the out side of Gabriella's room. Troy put his ear to the door.

"Sorry ma'am. Won't happen again." He heard Gabriella say. Troy was confused, ma'am? Troy managed to climb down the tree and run away from the house unnoticed but there were so many questions running in his head. Why did Gabriella wince when he called Celina her mother? Why was she so worried when Celina came upstairs? Why did she call Celina ma'am? Why was she afraid of her own family? Troy had so many question but no answers. Would he ever figure out the mystery that was Gabriella Montez? He thought as he closed the door to the Bolton household.

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**So anyone figure out what's happening? If you have then dont' tell me! Lol don't spoil it for the ones who haven't figured it out..**

**until next time! peace xx**


	5. Making New Friends

**Took me two weeks but i finally finished this chapter! For those of you who had to wait sorryy...but i had a lot of work and i mean loads! i blame it all on school )**

**Anyway the chapter you were all waiting forr D**

**Diclaimer: i ent even gonna bother...we all know what i'd say!**

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**Sunday…with Troy…**

All morning Troy went through as list of reasons why Gabriella would be afraid of her own family. But none of them made sense. Troy remembered how she winced when he called Celina her mother. Why would she wince? She looked pale when she heard Celina come up the stairs. Troy shook his head. He would never be able to figure her out.

BEEP!

Troy looked down and saw his mobile screen flashing. He picked it up and sighed. Another text message from Chanel, Troy had deleted every single one she sent. He didn't even know how she got his number. Even Gabriella didn't have his number. Troy sighed as he chucked his phone on the other side of his bed. He laid his head on his pillow and stared at the ceiling. He was so consumed in his thoughts about Gabriella that he didn't hear his room door open.

"Troy…" Lucille opened the door to her son's bedroom. She looked around and saw Troy lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. She stepped into the room and tiptoed over to his bed. Troy felt someone sit next to him. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked to see who it was.

"Hey what's wrong?" Lucille asked Troy. Troy sighed.

"Nothing…what did you want?" He asked his mother. Lucille handed him the house phone.

"It's Jen." She said. Troy took the phone off her and she walked out.

"Hey Jen." Troy said. Jen was Troy's cousin. His closest cousin. In fact the only cousin he liked.

"Hi Troy. Just wondering what you were up to…" Jen asked. Troy sat up.

"What do you want Jen?" He asked knowing that she would only called him if she wanted something really badly.

"Well…you know my mate Latisha yeah? Well she wants to go see this movie and I thought since you don't have a girlfriend you could…possibly…" Jen began to say.

"No…no…no way! I am not taking one of your chatty, flirty friends on a date. So don't bother Jen." Troy practically yelled. Jen sighed.

"Troy you're so difficult!" She said. Troy grinned.

"Yeah, that's one of my good traits. Besides no matter how difficult I am you still try and set me up. Do you think I'm not capable of getting my own girlfriend! Because I am very capable! In fact I'm just about a week away form getting one!" Troy said and then hung up. This was getting out of hand. Every other day Jen would come up with another excuse to try and get him with some next girl. Troy sighed and picked up the basketball that was kept underneath his bed. He stepped outside and walked over to his basketball court. He began to play.

**With Gabriella…**

Gabriella ran up to her room with tears falling down her face. Chanel had seen Troy climb down the tree that was located in front of Gabriella's room. Of course she went and told their parents. As a result Gabriella was beaten up severely. Gabriella slammed her room door behind her and ran over to her bed. She buried her head into her pillow and screamed. Letting all her frustration out. It wasn't fair. Why her? Why? Gabriella cried into her pillow. By the time she was finished her eyes were red and puffy. She sighed as she looked in the mirror. She would have to do something about her appearance. Some new clothes would be nice. New glasses, Gabriella had already put an order through. She wanted new shoes, new hairstyles and some small accessories. She wanted to look nice and not nerdy. Gabriella wiped away her tears and grabbed her purse. She locked her bedroom door and looked at the time. It was 2 o'clock. _'Perfect'_ Gabriella thought. Chanel wad due to go out with Celina to the hairdressers. Julio was out with Jack Bolton. Gabriella would be able to go to the mall and come back with no worries at all. She opened the balcony doors and stepped out. She climbed down the tree careful not to rip her clothes, and jumped down and grinned. She looked over at the Bolton household and saw Troy indulged in basketball. She smiled as she crept out of the garden. Soon enough Gabriella was on her way to the mall.

**Two hours later…**

Gabriella sat in her room with a satisfied look on her face. She had gotten out and come back in with no problem at all. Plus she had everything all set for the next day of school. She began to hang up her new clothes and put away her new belongings.

**The next day…**

Gabriella sat up in her room brushing her hair. It was her first day of school and she was pretty excited. She wanted to make a good impression on the first day. She decided that she wouldn't go and sign up for anything yet. Gabriella wanted to make friends, settle in and then join some extra-curricular clubs. Gabriella stood up and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Gabriella had chosen a white scoop collar blouse with a pair of tie-waist trousers. She smiled as she studied her reflection. It would have to do for the first day of school. Gabriella slid her feet into a pair off simple black pumps. She grabbed her new glasses out of their case and put them on. Gabriella smiled as she saw the end result. She grabbed her Jane Norman bag from its place and walked out of her room. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen to grab something to eat. Chanel was seated at the table. She had chosen a more outgoing outfit for her first day. It consisted of a foil cowl back top and a flannel belted puffball miniskirt. Her feet were covered by some twist knot pumps. She was eating a very big bowl of cereal. Gabriella slid into the kitchen and made herself some toast.

"Okay then girls, here are your papers." Celina said handing Chanel a folder that held some papers. She slid Gabriella's across the table. Gabriella gave her a small nod and picked up her folder. She took her piece of toast and walked out of the house. Julio came down just as she was about to exit the house.

"Hey Gabriella…" Julio started. Gabriella turned around to face her father. Julio looked at his daughter she wasn't the same girl she was six years ago.

"Yeah?" Gabriella asked whilst looking at her watch. Julio hesitated for a moment.

"Nothing." He said. Gabriella's face fell and she turned to walk out. Julio felt a pang of guilt as he went into the kitchen.

"I'm off!" Chanel announced.

"Have a good day baby." Celina said as she gave Chanel a peck on the cheek. Julio did the same and Chanel exited the house. Julio sighed as he ate his own breakfast. Celina noticed her husband's weird behaviour but decided to let it go.

Gabriella stood in front of East High. It was quite a big building decorated with red and white on the outside. She walked up to the building past the fountain that stood in the middle. She opened the doors and entered the halls of East High. The walls were decorated from head to toe in red and white. There were posters everywhere with the saying 'Go Wildcats!' written on them. Gabriella smiled as she walked past a huge poster of the school's basketball team. Troy was right at the front and Gabriella thought he looked really cute. She walked on still keeping her eyes on the poster.

"Hey watch it!" Gabriella heard as she hit the floor. She looked up to see a blonde girl standing in front of her. The girl was wearing a foil ruche cami and a sequin Basque miniskirt. The girl was covered from head to toes in sparkles. Even her strappy sandals were covered in sparkles. Gabriella looked at the girl.

"Sorry…" She said as she tried to get up.

"Allow me." A blonde boy stepped out from behind the blonde girl. He extended a hand to help Gabriella up. Gabriella took his offer and soon found herself standing on her two feet again.

"Sorry again." Gabriella apologised.

"Oh no worries. I can see why you were distracted." The sparkly girl pointed to the picture of Troy. Gabriella blushed a little.

"Sharpay Evans." Sharpay introduced herself. Gabriella shook her hand.

"Gabriella Montez." She replied. Sharpay thought for a moment.

"Montez, Montez…hmm where have I heard of that before?" Sharpay asked herself.

"Oh well it doesn't matter." Sharpay told herself.

"I'm Ryan by the way. Sharpay's twin." Ryan introduced himself. Gabriella shook his hand.

"Thanks for helping me up." She thanked him.

"No worries." Ryan replied.

"So Gabriella who do you have for homeroom?" Sharpay asked. Gabriella handed Sharpay her papers. Sharpay skimmed through ever sheet before finding the right one.

"Aha you have Ms Darbus. Ooo tough luck. But we have her too so I'll give you some pointers." Sharpay said as she took Gabriella by the wrist and led her to their homeroom.

Troy walked into his homeroom after the bell went.

"Mr Bolton, I do advise that you come to homeroom on time. Detention!" His drama-crazy teacher yelled out.

"But Ms Darbus I had to help my dad out. So Principal Mtsaui **(sp?)** said that I could come whenever I was done helping dad out." Troy said. Ms Darbus took a deep breath.

"Okay but I'll excuse you just this once. Now go take a seat!" She yelled. Troy thanked her and made his way to the back of the classroom were all his friends were seated. He went to take his normal seat that was located next to Sharpay. Instead he found someone else sitting there. He tapped the unknown girl on the shoulder.

"Excuse me that's my seat." He said as nicely as he could. The girl looked up and Troy nearly fainted.

"Brie?" He asked.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked in the same tone. The pair broke out in huge grins.

"Wow, that was a surprise." He said. Gabriella laughed.

"Well you know me…" She replied. Troy looked at her.

"Yeah I do…" He said softly. Gabriella smiled shyly. Both were unaware of their surroundings. The whole gang was looking at Troy and Gabriella with their mouths wide open.

"Brie?" Sharpay repeated. Troy and Gabriella snapped out of their trances and looked around them.

"What?" Troy asked sitting on the seat next to Gabriella.

"Brie?" Sharpay repeated again. Troy shrugged.

"Yeah Brie…her nickname. Man Shar you're slow." Troy shook his head. Sharpay stared at him in awe.

"But…she's…and you…" She mumbled. Ryan placed a hand over his sister's mouth.

"I think what Shar is trying to say is how do you two know each other? Gabriella's new right?" Ryan spoke for his sister. Gabriella and Troy looked at each other and grinned.

"Well…we're kind of next door neighbours." Gabriella informed them. Suddenly Chad jumped out of his seat and pointed at Gabriella.

"Girl from the balcony!" He said excitedly. Gabriella nodded.

"Yeah and you must be Chad." Gabriella said. Chad nodded, his hair bobbing up and down.

"Yeah that's Chad alright." The pretty, dark-haired girl sitting next to Chad spoke up.

"I'm Taylor, Taylor McKessie." Taylor introduced herself.

"Oh the clever one." Gabriella said. Taylor smiled.

"Yup, that's me captain of the scholastic decathlon team. Go Wildcats!" Taylor punched her fist into the air. Gabriella smiled.

"Well I might as well introduce myself." A tall, African-American boy sitting opposite Taylor put away his book and faced Gabriella.

"I'm Zeke." Zeke introduced himself. Gabriella thought for a moment.

"Zeke…the baker!" Gabriella's eyes widened as she remembered. Zeke's face lit up.

"Yup that's me." He said proudly. Gabriella turned to the quiet pair seated in the corner as if expecting them to speak up too.

"Jason." Jason said his name. Gabriella nodded.

"The cool, bit dopey boy." She said remembering Troy's exact words.

"Huh? Who's that? What boy?" Jason asked with a dumbfounded look on his face. Gabriella giggled he was definitely the dopey one.

"I'm Kelsi." The brown-haired petite girl spoke up from her seat.

"Hey Kelsi, you're the one who's this close to Troy right?" Gabriella showed Kelsi exactly how Troy showed her.

"Yeah." Kelsi said smiling. Troy sat back and watched how Gabriella was interacting with the gang. She was doing pretty well for the first meeting.

"Where's Martha?" Gabriella asked. Noting that she hadn't met the dancer yet.

"Oh she's got some dancing to catch up on." Zeke said. "I dropped her off on my way to the cookery room." He told them. Everyone nodded. Gabriella smiled sadly; it would've been great to meet another dancer.

"Don't worry you'll catch her later." Troy said as if he knew that was what Gabriella was thinking about.

"Ahem! Mr Bolton and the rest of you! Quiet back there!" Ms Darbus yelled at the gang. They mumbled their apologies and shut up. Just then Chanel walked into the room. The whole gang looked at Chanel to Gabriella and again.

"Did I mention that I had a twin?" Gabriella said innocently. Troy laughed at the look on his friend's faces.

"Miss Montez? I thought you already arrived? You were just seated…" Ms Darbus looked over at Gabriella. "…right there." She finished her sentence.

"We're twins…" Both Chanel and Gabriella mumbled the last sentence.

"Very well. Take a seat other Miss Montez." Ms Darbus said putting a hand on her head. Chanel looked around the room trying to find the perfect place to sit. She saw Gabriella sitting next to Troy and glowered with envy. Just then she spotted a spare seat in front of Troy. She smiled and took the seat. She turned around the face Troy.

"Hi Troy." She greeted him whilst batting her eyelashes. Troy mumbled a hello and then turned to face Gabriella.

"So…" He said launching into a conversation with Gabriella. Chanel glared at the pair, furious that Troy would choose Gabriella over her. The bell rang and everyone rushed out ignoring Ms Darbus's attempts to get them to sign up to audition for her latest musical. The gang parted and went their separate ways. Zeke, Jason and Sharpay had English. Taylor and Chad had chemistry. Kelsi had to go catch up with Martha. That left Gabriella and Troy.

"So what you got first?" Troy asked as Gabriella took out her timetable. She handed Troy the sheet and he looked at her timetable.

"Well looks like Miss Montez has Maths. Same as me." Troy said handing her the sheet. Gabriella smiled.

"Well I like Maths so that's good. And you're not a bad person to be with either." Troy faked a gasp.

"You like Math better than me? Wow that's a first." He said. Gabriella hit him playfully on the chest and giggled. The two didn't notice Chanel trailing behind them and watching them as they linked arms and laughed and chatted away. Chanel looked like she was going to burst.

"I see you have a soft spot for our captain as well." Chanel turned around and looked at the girl standing in front of her. She was dressed in a red and white cheerleader's outfit. She stood with her arms crossed and held pom-pom's in each hand.

"Who are you?" Chanel asked.

"Jennifer Cooley, captain of the cheerleading squad." Jennifer extended her hand. Chanel eyed her perfectly manicured nails and then shook her hand.

"Chanel Montez." She introduced herself.

"No wonder you looked like that girl. You're sisters." Jennifer said. Chanel rolled her eyes. Someone just had to remind her everyday.

"No worse…twins." She said. Jennifer gasped.

"Wow must be a burden knowing that your twin could potentially be Troy Bolton's first official girlfriend." She said with a grin on her face. Chanel scowled.

"Not if I have anything to do with it." She said as she turned her back.

"Oh by the way _Chanel_ Troy's very close to my heart, so if you do anything to make him upset then you'll regret the fact that you were born." Jennifer threatened Chanel and then walked away, her brown hair swaying as she cascaded down the hall. Chanel stared at her and then turned around making her way to her Math class.

When Chanel arrived she saw Troy and Gabriella sitting together. Her blood boiled as she sat behind them.

"Okay class today we will begin with…" The maths teacher began. Chanel wasn't listening she was too busy looking at the back of Troy's head.

"Let's get started then." Mr Don finished. Gabriella took out her pencil and math book. She looked at the problems and began scribbling away in her exercise book. Troy looked at her in amazement. Brains and beauty what could be better? Troy looked down at the problems written in his textbook. He looked at all the numbers and the letters and his head began to hurt.

"Brie…" He whispered. Gabriella was too into her work to notice that he had called her. Troy sighed and nudged her. He saw her wince a little but chose to ignore it.

"Brie!" He said again. Gabriella turned to face him still hurting from the nudge.

"What?" She whispered. Troy looked down at the math book and then back at Gabriella. She looked at him in confusion.

"Idontgetit." He said all in one go. Gabriella whacked him on the arm.

"Okay relax. I just don't get it." He said shamefully. Gabriella gave him a warm smile.

"All you had to do was ask." She said as she began to walk him through the questions and answers. Chanel was turning green with jealousy. Right now she'd give anything to be in Gabriella's place. Somehow Chanel was going to get there. Somehow.

**With Zeke, Jason and Sharpay…**

Zeke sat at the back of class bored out of his mind. The topic was Shakespeare and he'd had enough on that topic from Ms Darbus. If she was able to marry the old dude then she would. Zeke looked ahead and caught Sharpay's eye. He winked and smiled. Surprisingly she blushed. Zeke tried to keep his cool so he screamed and yelled with joy on the inside.

"Psst!" Zeke looked around to see who was making the noise. He couldn't see anyone so he diverted his attention back to Shar-Shakespeare. Two seconds later something hit him on the head.

"Ow!" He said as quietly as he could. He looked around and saw Jason giving him thumbs up. Zeke sighed and leaned down to pick up the crumpled piece of paper. He opened it up and saw that there was a number written on it in a pink gel pen. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. It had to be Sharpay. He quietly took his phone out and added her to his contact list.

"Ahem…" Zeke looked up and saw Miss Shirley standing at his desk.

"Hey Miss…" He said weakly. Miss Shirley looked at him and sighed. She put out her hand and Zeke handed her his phone.

"Mr Baylor I advise that you text in your own time and not in my time." She said as she walked away with his phone. Jason gave him a 'sorry my bad' look and Zeke just dismissed it.

"Oh and Mr Cross please try and play matchmaker outside my classroom." Miss Shirley said before she went back to explaining the work. Zeke rolled his eyes as he listened to her drone on about Shakespeare.

**With Taylor and Chad…**

"Well don't you think there's something…weird about her?" Taylor asked Chad. Chad banged his head on the table.

"Tay all you've been talking about all lesson is the twins! They're twins! That's the only weird thing about them. They look alike." Chad tried to get his girlfriend to stop yapping about the twins.

"But Chad I know that there's something wrong." Taylor was sure Gabriella wasn't telling the something.

"Taaaaay! Please stoop!" Chad whinged. Taylor rolled her eyes and shut up. But that didn't stop her from thinking about the whole situation. Taylor had always followed her instinct and right now it was telling her that something wasn't right.

**With Gabriella and Troy…**

The two best friends walked out of math class hand in hand. As they walked down the corridor they were given weird looks and glares.

"Troy…" Gabriella whispered. Troy looked over at her.

"What?" He said. Gabriella looked at all the people and then at him.

"That." She said. Troy sighed. So he wasn't the only one who felt the stares and glares. What could it be? Then he felt someone squeeze his hand. He looked down and saw that his hand was holding onto Gabriella's. Troy smiled.

"It's nothing to worry about Brie. They're just immature." He tried to reassure her. Gabriella smiled as she walked beside Troy. They walked towards the cafeteria. Troy opened the door and the pair walked in. As soon as they stepped in everyone in the hall was quiet.

"Troy…" Gabriella whispered. Then she felt someone squeeze her hand. Gabriella looked down and saw their joint hands. Her eyes widened and she went a deep colour of red. Troy grinned as he led her over to his usual table. The gang was seated around the table. Zeke and Sharpay were in a heated conversation about how many calories were in the cafeteria food. Kelsi and Ryan were working on some music. Taylor and Martha were picking at their food. Chad and Jason were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are Chad and Jason?" Troy asked noticing that two of his friends weren't present.

"Urm I think they're shooting some hoops." Ryan said without looking up from his sheet of music. Troy nodded and looked over at Gabriella. She was looking at everyone else.

"Why is it so quiet?" Sharpay asked looking away from Zeke. She turned towards Troy and Gabriella and gasped. Hearing her gasp the rest of the gang looked up. They stared at the two teens stood next to the table. The whole school braced themselves for what was going to come next.

"OMG!" Taylor exclaimed. The girls got up and started jumping up and down.

"I knew you were the right girl…oh my God oh my God oh my God…this is sooo cool…I knew it I knew it!" Taylor, Sharpay, Kelsi and Martha yelled at the same time. Troy and Gabriella looked at each other amused.

"Chill guys, we're not going out." Troy said coolly.

"Yeah we're just mates." Gabriella added. The girls stopped jumping and looked at the couple.

"May I direct you to the hand holding? That is not something that mates do!" Sharpay said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"You hold hands with Zeke all the time!" Troy said in defence. Sharpay went all quiet and stepped back down. Troy smiled triumphantly at Gabriella. She returned his smile as sat down with him. They let go of each other's hands and carried on as usual. By then the cafeteria had regained it's normal buzz. The gang chatted as normal and tried not to pay attention to the two flirting teens.

"Hey guys…" Chad jumped up behind Taylor.

"Ah!" Taylor screamed. She jumped out of her seat and watched as Chad laughed.

"Chad Anthony Danforth! You do that again and I will find a way to send you into oblivion. You can count on it!" Taylor yelled at her now frightened boyfriend. Chad stepped back and took a seat next to Troy.

"Yowza…" He whispered. Troy shook his head. He knew in a matter of minutes the two would be talking again.

"So Gabi how did you like your first day?" Taylor asked the brunette seated opposite her.

"It was great. I mean I met all of you lot and that's been the best thing about today. Making friends." She said with a smile. The gang broke out in smiles.

"Aw Gabs that was sweet." Kelsi said. Gabriella smiled at all her newly found friends. She felt Troy squeeze her hand and grinned even more. Her life was just about perfect. It was as if the gang was the cure to it all.

**With Chanel…**

Chanel watched the gang from her table. She couldn't help but think that it should be her who was seated there, instead of her geeky sister. Chanel had been thinking these thoughts all day. Chanel felt a vibration coming from the purse she was holding onto. She unzipped the bag and pulled out her phone.

"Hello Chanel here." She answered the call.

"Hey Chan…" Chanel smiled a little as she heard the voice of the caller.

"Dan…hey…" She stood up and walked out of the cafeteria after giving Gabriella one last glare.

"So how are you?" Dan asked his used-to-be-didn't-want-to-be-forgetful girlfriend.

"Urm all good. Just settling in." She answered as she found herself a quiet place to sit.

"That's good." He replied. Chanel shifted about uncomfortably. There was nothing she could say to him. She wasn't going to be able to tell him what she was up to. That included telling him about Troy and that she didn't want to do.

"So what have you been up to?" Dan asked after a few minutes of silence. Chanel hesitated before answering.

"Urm nothing much. Like I said just settling in…" Chanel repeated. She could almost sense Dan's disappointment.

"Oh okay, I have to go then…bye…" He bid goodbye.

"Bye…" Chanel said quietly. Then Dan hung up without saying another word. Chanel put her phone away and sat in silence for a moment.

"H doesn't have to know…he doesn't need to know about Troy. Or my plans…" She said out aloud as if she were trying to convince herself. She sighed thinking about how disappointed Dan would be with her if he knew what she was up to. She let out a deep breath and stood up. There wasn't a reason why he should know about what she was doing. It wasn't as if they were still together. Chanel sorted herself out and started walking back towards the cafeteria. She didn't notice Jason emerge from around the corner.

"Wow…" He said as he sat where Chanel had been sitting. It was a little too much for him but he could handle it. What he really wanted to know was what Chanel's "plan" was. Jason sighed and got up. He needed to find out some more. He wasn't as dopey as his mates thought he was. Jason was just a good actor.

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**Another chapter done! i didn't really like this one but it doesn't matter what i think of it its what you think of it that matters...so tell me in a review!**

**Until the next update**

**peacex**


	6. Free Period

**Two Chapters In One Day! Wow! I'm Good :) Anyway Enjoy!**

**B.T.W Thanks For All The Great Reviews Everyone! I'm So Pleased With Them!**

**Now On With The Chapter...**

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Na na na na  
Na na na na yeah  
You are the music in me_

Kelsi sat on a stool in front of the piano. She looked up at her sheet of music and made a slight change. She tried the song again.

_Na na na na  
Na na na na yeah  
You are the music in me_

She smiled, satisfied with the outcome.

"Hey Kels…" Kelsi looked back to see Jason walking towards her.

"Hey Jase…what's wrong?" She noted the worried look on his face.

"Nothing…" Jason replied. Kelsi sighed. She turned away from the piano and faced her boyfriend.

"Jason it's never nothing with you." She said. Kelsi was the only one who really knew Jason. She didn't see the dopey, idiotic Jason. She saw the intelligent, thoughtful Jason.

"I just overheard some things and didn't like the sound of them." Jason told her. Kelsi smiled.

"Well…what would Sherlock Homes do?" She asked him. Jason smiled.

"He would go investigate." He replied. Kelsi grinned as she watched him walk away. Sherlock Homes was one of Jason's favourites. He loved anything to do with detective work. Kelsi sighed and turned back towards the piano.

**In the hallway…**

"Chad!" Taylor cried for the tenth time. Chad stopped what he was doing and walked sensibly beside Taylor. Gabriella laughed as she watched Taylor and Chad interact. They were an odd couple that's for sure. She took a deep breath as she walked through the halls of East High with her two newly made friends. It had been two days since she had first started school and Gabriella was glad that they moved. Even her family had calmed down for a while. Her father spent most of his time hanging around with Jack. They went to baseball and basketball games together and played with the boys as well. Gabriella loved seeing her father so happy. He was never able to play basketball after the incident. Gabriella was relieved that he was finally able to play the game he loved again. Celina was the same. She hit Gabriella a lot, mostly when Gabriella didn't "co-operate" and do the work. But lately she had been keeping to herself. Locking herself up in her room, trying not to communicate with everyone. Gabriella had her suspicions but she wasn't going to carry out some kind of investigation. The further Celina stayed away from her the better. Chanel was extremely quiet in these past few days. Like she was up to something. Again Gabriella had ignored this because she felt on top of the world and couldn't care less about what her sister was planning.

"Hey Gabs!" Gabriella turned around to see Martha.

"Hey M…how was dance?" She asked her hip-hopping friend.

"Like suicide! One of our dancers has left so we have to work extra hard." Martha explained. Gabriella nodded.

"Why don't you try out Gabs?" Chad added. The three girls looked at Chad.

"What?" He asked noticing their surprised looks.

"That is probably the first sensible, not to mention brilliant, thing you have ever said." Taylor said. Chad smiled.

"Well I have my moments." He said. What he didn't notice was a sign that read "wet floor". The three girls stopped and watched as he slipped and fell over.

"And then you have hose moments." Taylor said whilst trying her best not to laugh. Gabriella and Martha doubled up in laughter. They watched Taylor help Chad up only to be pulled down herself. This made them laugh even harder.

"I…swear…you guys…crack me up…" Gabriella said through her laughter. Taylor sighed and tried to stand up. She got up and sorted herself out. Chad did the same.

"Well glad to be of service." Taylor said sarcastically. Gabriella and Martha stifled their laughter as they followed the silent couple down the hallway. Gabriella looked down at he watch they had another 50 minutes of free period to kill.

"Hey guys." Jason said as he spotted his mates.

"He Jase…what you doing?" Chad asked.

"Just met Kels. She's trying out a new song. I've got to go do some stuff now. See ya." Jason explained.

"You want me to come-" Before Chad was even able to finish off his sentence Jason fled down the hallway. "-Man." Chad finished off his sentence.

"Martha! Miss wants us to come to dance class now!" Martha turned around to see Keely, another dancer, calling out to her.

"Okay. I'll be there in a few!" Martha said. Keely nodded and ran off to find the other members.

"Great, another dance practise. Dance is going to be the death of me." Martha commented as she ran off. The three waved goodbye and carried on walking. They were walking towards the gym, Chad wanted to see who was in there.

"Come on…" Chad said. The girls followed him. Chad opened the gym doors to find a basketball game going on. Troy had just shot another basket.

"Wooo! Oh yeah!" Troy yelled as he slapped hands with Zeke.

"Oh man! Another unscheduled game and you didn't bother to tell me!" Chad shouted as he walked into the gym. The guys stopped playing and looked at Chad.

"Sorry man but you were with Tay. So we thought…" Zeke started to say.

"Yeah but…" Chad interrupted.

"Well do you wanna play now? I mean we can stop playing our game. We were winning anyway." Troy said. The members on the other team groaned and walked off. Troy shook his head. He spotted Gabriella and waved at her.

"Hello…ain't seen you all day missy." Troy said. Missy was his latest nickname for her.

"Well I've been around." Gabriella replied smiling. Troy walked over to her and gave her a hug. Taylor watched the pair and sighed, they were so made for each other. Was she the only one to see it? Gabriella shifted a little as Troy hugged her. Her bruises from the night before still hurt. She had an encounter with Celina…

**Flashback**

_Gabriella walked out of her room and into the hallway. She dropped one of her books on the floor and bent down to get it. She snatched the book and got up, she began to walk onwards towards her room but she was stopped by bumping into someone. She looked up to see an annoyed Celina. Gabriella gulped, Celina was definitely steaming, you could almost make out the smoke coming out of her ears.  
_

"_You might want to watch where you're going!" Celina exclaimed, putting her fist into a curled up ball. Gabriella nodded and apologized, she wanted to get away quickly. Celina was in one of her moods again and that wasn't ever good for Gabriella. The brunette slid past Celina quietly and was about to walk off when she felt Celina grab the bottom of her shirt. _

"_Oh no you aren't getting away that easily" Celina said as she pulled the frightened teenager back. A smirk appeared on Celina's face as she shoved Gabriella on the floor. She towered over the small girl and then raised her foot. Gabriella winced as Celina's foot came in contact with her stomach._

"_Ow!" Gabriella cried out in pain. Celina smiled and sighed as if she felt better already. She spotted Julio come out of their bedroom and her anger came back. She kicked Gabriella again and again not caring for the fact that she was hurting Gabriella really badly. Julio noticed the fire in her eyes and backed away leaving his daughter to suffer the consequences. A cowardly act for a man his age. It was as if Celina controlled him, over powered him and scared him. All at the same time.  
_

"_Stop please stop!" Gabriella yelled wanting the pain to go away. Celina stopped and picked the girl up. She pinned her to the wall and gripped her by the shoulders. Gabriella cried out in pain as Celina's fingers dug into her shoulders. Celina just watched with amusement, her eyes stone cold and uncaring.  
_

"_Next time watch it." She said as she let Gabriella go. Gabriella landed with a thud on the floor. Celina stepped over her and smiled to herself, it was as if beating Gabriella up made her feel better. The older woman took one last look at Gabriella and then walked over to the bathroom. She slammed the door so hard that it made Gabriella wince again. The young girl just sat on the floor with her back up against the wall and tears falling down her face. All because she wanted to retrieve her book from the floor._

**End Flashback**

Gabriella's eyes started to water as Troy pulled her closer. His body pressing up against hers, and her stomach hurting like hell. The bruises were a day old but still fresh, as if she had gotten them in the morning. Troy felt her wince and tremble a bit and immediately released her from his hug. He looked into her watery eyes and sighed. Something was wrong with her. He knew that, but she wouldn't tell him. And he wasn't going to ask her again because she was just going to blank him or change the subject. Troy had tried to get it out of her before and failed. Over and over again...

**Flashback**

_Troy climbed up the old oak tree and onto Gabriella's balcony, just like he had done about ten times before. He tapped lightly on the door and watched as the lights came on. He heard someone shuffling and shifting about. He heard the click of the door and came face to face with Gabriella. She was in an over sized T-shirt and some boy shorts, Troy raised an eyebrow at her choice of nightclothes. She also held another Mediator book in her hands.  
_

"_Well this is a new look for you." He said as he walked past her and into her room. Gabriella sighed and locked the balcony door again. Troy always seemed to come and go by the balcony door, it was never just ringing the front doorbell for him.  
_

"_Another late-night visit? What are you up to mister?" Gabriella asked suspiciously. Troy laughed at her tone of voice.  
_

"_Alright you got me, I'm planning to seduce you in the comfort of your own room. Now my plan is foiled. Damn!" He cursed. Gabriella giggled quietly. Troy raised an eyebrow again, this time at the volume of her voice.  
_

"_Why are you so quiet?" Troy whispered. Gabriella gave him a look. Not a you're-cute look but an are-you-stupid look.  
_

"_I doubt that any parents, especially my parents, would want to hear a male voice coming from their teenage daughter's room." She stated as-a-matter-of-factly. Troy rolled his eyes and crashed on her bed. Gabriella's room was like his second bedroom. He preferred her room to his own. Maybe because he could actually see the carpet, maybe because it was more lively. Or maybe because it was just her room. With her inside it. Troy was snapped out of his thoughts by some yelling.  
_

"_Gabriella!" Gabriella gasped slightly as she heard Celina's voice. She jumped up from the bed and began to panic. What if Celina found Troy? It would look awfully bad and she would definitely get a huge beating for it. Plus Chanel would make it ten times worse than it was. She tried to think of a way out of it. Her brown orbs scanned the room for a hiding place for Troy. They rested on the closet.  
_

"_Troy get in the closet now!" She ordered, and before Troy could protest, Gabriella had already pushed him off the bed and she was now trying to push him into the closet. Troy sighed and decided to make this easier for her. He stopped and walked into the closet. He looked at Gabriella's panic-stricken face before she closed the door on him. He heard the door to her room open and a few "quiet" words that were being exchanged._

"_Lazy girl…ridiculous…pathetic…" Troy was only able to hear snippets of the conversation. He heard the door close and then open again. He was sure that he heard Gabriella being dragged out of the room. When he was sure that it was safe he opened the closet door._

"_Brie…" He whispered. There was no answer, the room was deserted. Troy sighed and sat on the bed awaiting her return._

_Five minutes later Gabriella returned to find Troy lying back on her bed._

"_I thought you had gone…" Gabriella asked. Toy sat up and gave her a lopsided smile._

"_Well I stuck around…Gabriella tell me…" Troy started to say. Gabriella sighed, she knew he was going to say something serious. He always called her by her first name when he was about say something serious._ "_Why are you so scared? What has your mother done to you? Why do you keep on wincing and going pale when I say she's your mother!" Troy spoke as quietly as he could.  
_

"_I think you should go." Gabriella told him. Troy groaned._

"_Not until you tell me." Gabriella sighed. He was going to be really stubborn about this now. _

"_Troy, go." She said going over to the balcony doors and unlocking them. Troy sighed and walked out knowing that he wouldn't be able to get a word out of her. He turned around to say goodbye but Gabriella had already locked the door. Troy sighed and climbed down the tree. _

"_Maybe another time…" He said to himself as he ran over to his house._

**End Flashback**

Gabriella gave Troy a small smile when he let go of her. Troy just smiled back, still not asking any questions as to why she winced and trembled in the first place. They stood in front of each other for a good few seconds, both of them not knowing when to move.

"So...are we playing or what?" Zeke asked, finally breaking up their staring contest. Troy looked at Gabriella one more time before nodding at his friend. He dropped his arms from her shoulders and the walked over to the rest of the guys without saying another word. Gabriella sighed and went to stand next to Taylor.

"He held on a bit too long for just a 'friendly' hug." Taylor said without looking at Gabriella. Gabriella sighed, she knew Taylor was going to point something out, she always did.

"Yeah well all our hugs are like that. We're not just friends Taylor. We're best friends." Gabriella shot back. Taylor nodded and knew that it would be in her best interest to keep quiet. Gabriella was very touchy when it came to the subject of her and Troy being more than just friends or best friends. The last time someone answered back, they nearly had their head bitten off...

**Flashback**

_Troy stepped forward and embraced Gabriella in a hug. She placed her arms around him in return and they stood like that for what felt like forever. Sharpay, Kelsi, Taylor and Martha watched the two 'friends'. Sharpay sighed as she looked at them. She turned to face her three other friends.  
_

_"When are they going to get together? This more-than-friendly hugging is getting on my nerves! These two are meant for each other and they think that they're 'just friends'!" She exclaimed. The other three nodded in agreement. They looked back at Troy and Gabriella and saw that they had finally pulled away from each other. Troy was already running off towards the gym, shouting something about being late for practice and Gabriella was making her way towards the four girls.  
_

_"Finally…" Sharpay said. Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Oh come one Gabs! You two always do that! Just ask him out!" Sharpay exclaimed. Gabriella tried to keep calm, why couldn't they understand that she was just friends with Troy?  
_

_"We're just mates. That's all." Gabriella tried to tell them, she looked at their disbelieving faces and then turned to walk off. The four girls looked at each other and knew that they had ticked her off. They walked fast to catch up with her.  
_

_"That's all? That's all you've been saying to us these past few days. Gabi we're your fiends you can tell us." Sharpay said with a smile, hoping that Gabriella would just come out with the truth. Taylor, Kelsi and Martha exchanged looks, knowing that this wasn't going to end up good. Gabriella stopped and faced Sharpay.  
_

_"Friends? What kind of friends? You don't believe me when I tell you the truth! What kind of friends are you? Now why don't you go play dress up or something. Try to choose to be something other than a Barbie doll!" Gabriella screamed and then walked off. Sharpay stood watching Gabriella run away in awe. Nobody had ever said anything like that to her before. Sharpay looked at the girls and sighed. Not knowing what to say. Kelsi was also speechless, who knew that Gabriella had that much hate in her?  
_

_"Wow…" Taylor commented as they walked in the opposite direction. She too was amazed at her sort of best friend.  
_

_"I wouldn't want to get on her bad side." Martha said. Kelsi nodded as the four walked off._

**End Flashback**

Gabriella and Taylor watched as the boys battled out on the court. Troy was currently in possession of the ball. He was about to shoot it into the neck when the doors to the gym opened. Everyone looked towards them and saw the cheerleaders walk in. Some of the boys groaned.

"Guys we need the gym now." The head cheerleader called out walking straight up to Troy. "And you need a shower." She said, sniffing the air around him. Troy smirked and then picked her up. he twirled her around in his arms and laughed as she screamed.

"Troy! Troy David Bolton! Put me down!" She screamed at him. Troy instantly put her down as she said his full name. That was never good. She stood up and wiped her clothes.

"You're so going to pay for that." She said as she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Oh no! Please Jen, don't think of anything too drastic. I mean your pom-poms will be too much for me to handle!" Troy said mockingly. Jen laughed sarcastically.

"Please…I can do better than that. Do you remember Latisha? I think she needs a date for this Saturday night." Jan said with a smirk on her face. Troy's eyes widened. He shuddered at the thought of meeting Latisha again...

**Flashback**

_"So he was all… Lat I love you and I was like no way ho-say." Troy was seated in a nice little restaurant listening to his chatterbox date drone on about a guy she had dated in the past. He nodded and she thought that this was an invitation for her to carry on. Troy rolled his eyes, what kind of girl talked about her ex whilst she was on a date with another guy? Latisha Anderson did. Troy listened to her some more and felt his eyes closing slowly. His head felt heavy and soon enough he found himself falling asleep. He could hear Latisha in the background but he tried to make her voice fade away. He concentrated on thoughts of someone else. Gabriella to be exact. If Latisha could talk about an ex guy then Troy could think about his best friend. He smiled to himself as he thought about her laugh, her smile, her eyes, her perfect face...the list was simply endless. He kept on thinking about her and paid no attention to the girl sitting in front of him.  
_

_"Troy…Troy!" Troy snapped out of his daydream and came face to face with an annoyed Latisha._ "_Well that was rude, I mean I'm talking and you totally blank out and go on about some other girl. Gabriella? Honestly you guys can't stick to one girl! You're all jerks. My little brother is the worst though. He loves going into my room and stealing my make-up. And I'm like I need that stuff! How else am I going to look this great everyday? I mean looking good takes time and effort. Oh my God the other day I was at the mall and this guy, he was all right he had the cutest smile. Guys who have cute smiles are so cute. Oh like my cousin. He's a baby but he still has a cute smile. Totally adorable…" Troy groaned as Latisha dove into a new conversation. He couldn't take it much longer. Sooner nor later he would have to flee. _

"…_So my nails were like perfectly done. Oh Shannon has the weirdest nails. You know Shannon right? Once she…" Latisha had changed the subject in a matter of seconds, even milliseconds. Troy groaned once again and buried his head into his hands wondering when the torture called a date was going to be over.  
_

**End Flashback**

"That was the worst date ever!" Troy said, not wanting to go through all of that again. Jen laughed exactly how she laughed when Troy told her what had happened on the date. It was a very amusing story for her.

"So what are you waiting for?" Jen asked expectantly. Troy smiled at her.

"Sorry, sorry and sorry." He apologized. Jen smiled triumphantly and then looked at the rest of the basketball team.

"Ahem..." She cleared her throat and pointed to the rest of the guys. Troy sighed.

"Okay guys let's let the ladies practise." He said as he walked off the court. Jen grinned and thanked him. The guys groaned as they walked off the court.

"We had half an hour left…" One of the guys mumbled as they walked out of the gym. Troy sighed happily and walked behind them.

"Wow she got you scared." Gabriella said as she walked beside him.

"Well that's Jen for you. She always has something going for her and getting back at me is one of them." Troy said. Gabriella smiled and linked her arm with his.

"Okay I'm off to meet Shar." Zeke said and then rushed off. Gabriella smiled at him and held onto Troy as they turned the corner. She didn't even notice Chanel's scowl as they walked past Gabriella's twin and her newly found mates. Chanel had taken the role of the president of the drama club. Sharpay was booted out; no one would ever forget that day...

**Flashback**

_"Ahhhhhh!" a single scream echoed through East High. The entire student body went quiet at the sound. Everyone knew who it was, after all who could ever forget a shriek like that? In the drama theater, Sharpay Evans was fanning herself with her hand as she stood in front of Ms Darbus. She had an extremely shocked look on her face and felt as if she was going to faint any second. She was also hyperventilating a little, considering she had just lost the title she had been working for since she started at East High. Sharpay took a deep breath and searched for the right words to say.  
_

_"W-What!" She managed to say, it wasn't what she wanted to say but it was a start. Ryan handed her a bottle of water and placed a hand on her shoulder as she drank it. Sharpay took some small sips and turned back to Ms Darbus.  
_

_"I think that you are not suitable for the role of the president. I think it takes time and commitment. Miss Evans you have not been giving either." Ms Darbus explained with no emotion showing on her face, although she did look a little worried when Sharpay went pale.  
_

_"But…I love drama…I'm the star…the musicals…Ryan!" She said helplessly to her brother. Ryan looked at his sister and then at Ms Darbus. He too thought that this was cruel an unusual, something even Ms Darbus shouldn't have done.  
_

_"With all due respect Ms Darbus what you said isn't true. You just haven't been here in the past few days. Sharpay has been working like crazy. The day you came she was having a break. I have to say that you're making the wrong decision." Ryan explained and tried to defend his sister as much as possible. But Ms Darbus just shrugged and walked off as if she couldn't care less. When she moved she revealed a smirking Chanel. Ryan and Sharpay eyed the other Montez twin, the one that wasn't part of their social group. Chanel looked at Sharpay's pale face and Ryan's hopeless expression and seemed to smirk even more, if that was possible.  
_

_"Well, well, well two drama maniacs down eight to go." She said evilly and then walked off in the same direction as Ms Darbus. Sharpa's colour had returned to normal and Ryan was busy drinking some water himself/. They looked at Chanel as she walked off, both had confusion written on their faces.  
_

_"Eight to go?" Sharpay questioned as they made their way out. Ryan shrugged and walked alongside his sister to tell the gang what happened.  
_

**End Flashback**

Chanel had taken over and given the drama theatre a whole different identity. When Gabriella saw it she was speechless. It was as if Chanel had made a duplicate of the drama theatre at their old school. Gabriella felt Chanel's glare but chose to ignore it. She walked past clinging onto Troy's arm. They passed the chemistry lab and said goodbye to Taylor.

"See you." Taylor gave Chad a peck on the cheek as she went to meet the rest of her teammates from the Scholastic Decathlon. Gabriella, Chad and Troy were the only three left. They walked around the school figuring out what they could do with their 20 remaining minutes of free period. Chad spotted Jason outside and went to catch up with him.

"Chad watch out for the! Oh never mind…" Troy said as Chad bumped into a lamppost. Both Troy and Gabriella burst out laughing.

"That dude…" Troy said. The two grinned as they walked with linked arms. Anyone who would've seen them for the first time would instantly think that they were a couple. But everyone at East High knew about the close relationship between the two.

_Na na na na  
Na na na na yeah  
You are the music in me_

Gabriella stopped as she heard music coming from the music room. She grinned at Troy and took his hand. They walked into the music room.

"Hey Kels." Troy said as he spotted Kelsi on the piano. Kelsi turned around to face the pair.

"Sounds good." Gabriella said.

"Thanks." Kelsi replied. Gabriella and Troy walked over to the piano. They looked at Kelsi's sheet of music.

"Wow this is great." Gabriella said as she looked at it.

"Thanks…do you sing?" Kelsi asked her.

"Yeah I do sort of." Gabriella said handing Kelsi the sheet of paper.

"She's great." Troy said remembering the day he heard her singing. Gabriella blushed and Kelsi snapped her fingers.

"I got it! You two can sing this and test it out for me." Kelsi said. Gabriella looked at Troy and he nodded. She looked back at Kelsi and nodded. Kelsi began to play. She looked at Gabriella as she began to sing the first few sentences.

_Na na na na  
Na na na na yeah  
You are the music in me  
You know the words  
"Once Upon A Time"  
Make you listen?  
There's a reason._

She nodded at Gabriella who took a deep breath and joined in.

_When you dream there's a chance you'll find  
A little laughter  
or happy ever after_

Kelsi looked over at Troy who looked at the sheet of music and saw this was his cue.

_Your harmony to the melody  
It's echoing inside my head  
A single voice (Single voice)  
Above the noise  
And like a common thread  
Hmm, you're pulling me_

Troy walked over to the other side of the piano with the sheet of paper in his hands. He held onto Gabriella's hand as they sang.

_When I hear my favourite song  
I know that we belong  
Oh, you are the music in me  
Yeah it's living in all of us  
And it's brought us here because  
Because you are the music in me  
Na na na na (Ohh)  
Na na na na na  
Yeah yeah yeah  
(Na na na na)  
You are the music in me_

Gabriella dragged her sheet and Troy to her side of the piano. She sang to the boy standing in front of her.

_It's like I knew you before we met (Before we met)  
Can't explain it (Ohh ohh)  
There's no name for it (No name for it)  
I'm saying words I never said  
And it was easy (So easy)  
Because you see the real me (I see)_

Troy pulled away from Gabriella and walked around Kelsi. Gabriella did the same.

_As I am You understand  
And that's more than I've ever known  
To hear your voice (Hear your voice)  
Above the noise (Ohh ohh)  
And no, I'm not alone  
Oh you're singing to me (Ohh yeah)  
When I hear my favorite song  
I know that we belong (Yeah ohh)_

Troy twirled Gabriella around and jumped up onto the piano. He laid on his back and ran his hand over Gabriella's face.

_You are the music in me  
It's living in all of us  
And it's brought us here because  
You are the music in me_

Troy jumped off the piano and looked down at his sheet. He sang with all he had.

_Together we're gonna sing (Yeah)  
We got the power to sing what we feel (What we feel)  
Connected and real_

The two joined hands as they sang.

_Can't keep it all inside (Ohh)  
Na na na na (Ohh yeah)  
Na na na na na (Ohh yeah)  
Yeah yeah yeah (Na na na na)  
You are the music in me (In me)  
Na na na na (Ohh yeah)  
Na na na na na (Ohh yeah)  
Na na na na  
You are the music in me_

Troy hoisted Gabriella onto the piano and propped his elbows up. Gabriella looked down and sang to him. Kelsi watched the chemistry between the two.

_When I hear my favorite song (Favorite song)  
I know that we belong (We belong)_

Troy sat up on the piano with Gabriella. They faced each other and clicked their fingers.

_Y__ou are the music in me  
Yeah it's living in all of us  
It's brought us here because (Here because)_

Troy jumped off and helped Gabriella down. He took her in his arms and swayed around the room

_You are the music in me  
Na na na na (Ohh yeah)  
Na na na na (Ohh yeah)  
Na na na na  
You are the music in me (Yeah)_

Their foreheads touched and they smiled, their breathing was heavy from the singing they had just done.

"I love it!" Kelsi said clapping. "And you two sang it beautifully. You can tell it came straight from the heart." Kelsi said as she turned to sort out her papers. Troy and Gabriella looked at each other and blushed. Troy stepped forward and was about to say something. But he was cut off by the bell. He looked over at Gabriella and saw that she was smiling. She grabbed his hand and then dragged him out of the room. Troy laughed as she dragged him all the way over to their next class.

* * *

**Personally This Chapter Was My Favorite! Loved Doing All The Flashbacks & The Song At The End...Anyway Review Please & Thank You!**

**Until The Next Update**

**Peace xoxo  
**


	7. Troy's Discovery

**Sorry this one was bit toooo late...but i am swamped with c/w and exams so you have to bare with me...**

**Anyway without further ado the next chapter to my story...**

* * *

Gabriella walked into her house humming the tune to "You Are The Music In Me". She locked the front door and looked around to see who was at home. Chanel had left after free period and Gabriella wondered why she had to come home in the middle of the school day. Gabriella didn't care that much she was just very curious. After not seeing anyone she made her way up the stairs and into her room. She dumped her school bag on the floor and crashed on her bed. She stared up and the ceiling and sighed thinking about how wonderful the day had been. Despite all of her sister's glares Gabriella couldn't help feeling as if there was some hope left for her. She turned over on her side and closed her eyes. The bruises she received from Celina still hurt but Gabriella was too happy to even notice. She smiled as she drifted off into a deep sleep.**The Bolton Household…**

Troy opened the gate to his house; he walked up to the front door and searched his pockets for his keys. Front pocket, back pocket, jacket pockets. Nope nothing there.

"Great!" He said to himself. He rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. After a minute the door was opened and Troy came face to face with Celina. She looked a bit flushed and was holding a rolling pin in one hand.

"Troy!" Celina shouted, and she flung her arms into the air sending the rolling pin flying out into the garden. Troy winced at the loudness of her voice.

"Hey Ms M. what are you doing here?" Troy asked as he went to retrieve the rolling pin. He grabbed it from the floor and went back to the door. He handed the rolling pin to Celina and she stepped to the side letting him enter. Troy nodded at her and entered the house.

"Well me and your mother were just baking some cakes for the kids at her care home." Celina began to say as she wiped some of the dough off her face. It was clear that she hardly ever made cakes since she made Gabriella do all the cooking. Troy smiled at the thought of the care home. He loved that place, the kids were great and the social workers were amazing. After all, his mother was one of them.

"Great, I'm sure they'll be thrilled." Troy said as he gave Celina one last look and made his way upstairs. He opened the door to his room and sighed. Dumping his belonging in a corner of the room, Troy took off his jacket and threw it onto the bed. He hummed the tune of the song that was still fresh in his head. As was the almost kiss the day after the big dinner. Troy had always wondered if the doorbell hadn't rang then where would they be right now? After free period Troy didn't have any time to talk to Gabriella. She was in different classes than him and he was a bit shy as well. Troy made a mental note to go see her later on today.

**With Celina and Lucille…**

"Troy seems like a wonderful boy from what you've told me. A potential star" Celina said whilst she took a biscuit from the plate and dipped it into her tea. They had finished baking and were waiting for the cakes to bake.

"Yes he is. He just loves helping people especially kids." Lucille said. A light bulb went off in Celina's mind. She clicked her fingers and Lucille looked at her.

"Then maybe he could help me." She began to say. Lucille narrowed her eyes.

"How so?" Lucille asked she didn't like where this was going. In fact she didn't really want to know where this was going.

"Well I have a party to go to and Chanel just insists on coming. The problem is that the party is sort of like a dance. You have to bring a partner. Obviously I will be going with Julio and I need someone for Chanel…" Celina said, her sentence trailed off at the end as she looked at Lucille hopefully.

"…So you want Troy?" Lucille finished off for her. Celina nodded. Lucille sighed; this wasn't going to be easy.

"Celina, Troy is a very busy boy. He ha a lot of commitments. He has a part time job on the weekends. He has to practise his basketball with his father. Plus he has his volunteer work to do. I really don't want him to go off track and go to some party that I doubt he'll like. Troy isn't one to party." Lucille explained. All these facts were true but Lucille didn't want Troy going because of Chanel. She knew that Celina was trying to match make and get the two together. Lucille knew where her son's heart lied and it wasn't with Chanel.

"Oh I see." Celina said. She made sure that Lucille saw the disappointment in her voice and on her face. Lucille sighed as she took a sip of her tea. At least that was over.

**Upstairs…**

Troy walked out of his room and over to the bathroom. He opened the door and nearly died with shock.

"Boo!" Someone jumped out at him. Troy stepped back and put a hand over his heart.

"Whoa…" He said. He shook his head and took another look at whom it was. It was a girl that's for sure. From behind she looked like Gabriella with the dark hair, petite figure. Troy knew it couldn't be her, after all he had just seen her walking to her own house. Then again…

"Brie?" He asked, placing a hand on the small girl's shoulder. "Gabriella" turned around to face Troy. Troy's eyes widened as he saw who it was. It was Chanel.

"Brie?" Chanel said. Troy looked away. Chanel flipped her hair over and tapped her foot impatiently on the tiles.

"Yeah Brie. Who is obviously not you." Troy said. Chanel gave him a small glare but her smile returned to her face.

"Well then who is she?" Chanel asked. Troy groaned. He didn't want to go through this. Somehow he knew that this whole conversation would end up in Chanel asking him out.

"Listen Chanel. Can you please get out of my bathroom? This is not East High. It's my home and I'd like some privacy thank you very much." Troy said as nicely as he could. Chanel nodded slowly and placed her hand on his arm.

"I'll be back." She said in a slow, and what she thought was seductive, voice. Troy just grunted and waited for her to get out. He turned around to face her and then slammed the door in her face.

"Finally…" He said to himself. On the other side of the door stood a very annoyed Chanel.

"Brie? Oh yeah his Brie will pay. Sooner than you think." Chanel said as she walked downstairs. She went into the kitchen to find her mother sitting and having a chat with Lucille.

"Mom, let's go!" She said. Celina and Lucille looked up. Chanel gave Lucille a sweet smile and Celina a small glare. Celina caught the message and stood up.

"Well Lucille I'd better get going. Tell me how the cakes came out then. Bye." Celina gave Lucille a small hug before following Chanel out. When the pair was outside of the Bolton household, Celina turned to face her daughter.

"So how did it go?" She asked. Chanel made a face.

"Not well actually. In fact it was horrible mom! I found out that he has a girlfriend! And not just any girl, oh no, it's Gabriella!" Chanel lied. Celina gasped.

"That two-bit cow!" Celina cried out. Chanel nodded and smirked.

"Well we'll just have to sort her out then right?" Celina said. Chanel smirked even more as they walked over to their house.

**The Montez Household…**

Gabriella stretched out as she awoke from her sleep. She had heard the front door open and decided that it was time to get up. She changed her clothes into something cosy and prepared herself for whatever was waiting for her downstairs. She walked out of her room and into a smirking Chanel.

"Good luck…" Chanel said with a wink. Gabriella gulped and sighed. Here it comes, she thought as she walked down the stairs. Celina was pacing the living room muttering a few words and that. Gabriella walked into the room and cleared her throat. Celina turned around to face her.

"Well, well if it isn't little Mrs Bolton…" Celina began to say. Gabriella looked confused. Celina laughed at her expression.

"Don't give me that look. You know what I'm on about. Now let's see what we do to you today. You're father is out of town s the possibilities are endless. Not that he'd care anyway!" Celina shouted. Gabriella took a step back, frightened of what was about to happen next. Celina walked up to her slowly and held up her hand. She let it go and smacked Gabriella on the face. She kicked her in the stomach and let her drop to the floor. Gabriella went pale as Celina increased her strength.

**With Troy…**

"Mom I'm going over to Brie's house!" Troy yelled as he walked out of his house. He began humming as he walked out to see his best friend. He had a smile on his face as he reached the gate of their house. He looked up and saw the front door open. A girl wearing shades and the flashiest clothes ever stepped out. Troy took this as his cue to hide. He watched as Chanel walked past and got into a car. He watched the car drive away and then he stood up. After wiping the dirt off his clothes Troy proceeded in walking up to the Montez house. He just about reached the front door when he decided that the balcony was a better way to get in. Gabriella always kept the balcony doors open in the day just in case Troy decided to pop by. He took a detour and came in front of the tree he always climbed. He climbed up the tree and onto the balcony. He sighed as he opened the balcony doors and went into Gabriella's room. He didn't find anyone in there. Troy shrugged and sat on Gabriella's bed waiting for her to come up. He sat for about two seconds and then heard a loud thud coming from the ground floor. Troy stood up immediately and walked over to the door. He opened it a little to hear what was going on.

"Ah! Stop it…please…don't…" That was all Troy needed to hear. He knew something was wrong with Gabriella. After all that was her cry. Troy stepped out of the room quietly and walked over towards the staircase. He knelt down and watched the scene in front of him. He saw Celina standing over someone.

"You lazy little girl! You think you could get away with it!" Celina yelled. Troy's eyes widened as she stepped back to reveal a badly beaten Gabriella. His heart sank at the sight in front of him. His best friend, the girl he really liked was bleeding like there was no tomorrow. His fists curled up into a ball as he watched Celina kick her in the stomach again.

"Honestly! All I ever ask for is a little gratitude and this is what I get!" Celina punched Gabriella in the stomach again.

"You should be glad I ain't your real mother otherwise I would disown you by now!" Celina yelled. Troy gasped; no wonder Gabriella hated it when he called Celina her mother.

"Well obviously your real mother isn't here I mean she knew what a bad child you would be and decided to commit suicide! I would as well, the thought of having a child like you! Giving birth to such a waste of space! Thank God Chanel came out after you, otherwise your father would have gone crazy as well!" Celina yelled. Troy could see the tears falling from Gabriella's eyes. He would've given anything to go down and wipe them away.

"Good thing I came to whip you into shape. Otherwise you would be out partying every other day! Your mother would have hated you! You hear me! Hated you." Celina spat on Gabriella.

"Y-You're w-wrong…" Gabriella had gathered all her strength just to say those few words. Celina yelled out and kicker Gabriella in the stomach again. Troy stood up wanting to go down and take Gabriella away from this place. But he knew that he was unable to do anything.

"How the hell am I wrong? Chanel was deprived of a mother because of you" Celina said as she kicked Gabriella again. Troy looked away not wanting to see anymore. His eyes were closed yet his ears were still open.

"It's not my fault…" Gabriella said whilst she gathered her strength. She knew she had to confront Celina someday and what a better opportunity than this? At least her father was out.

"She committed suicide b-because she found o-out about YOU!" Gabriella was on her feet now, facing Celina and saying things she never thought she would say. Troy's ears could hear the bravery in her voice.

"H-He cheated on h-her…s-she loved him." Gabriella went on to say. Celina turned to face Gabriella and punched her in the face. Gabriella fell back on the floor. Celina stood over her.

"Love? LOVE? That woman didn't know the meaning of love!" Celina spat. Gabriella lifted her head weakly.

"So in your view, love is about hitting the offspring of your loved one? What a messed up world you're living in." Gabriella spoke those few last words before Celina kicked her in the stomach sending her into complete and utter darkness. Troy opened his eyes and looked at Gabriella. She was lying on the floor covered in blood. He felt like someone had ripped out his heart and trodden on it. That someone was Celina. When she hurt Gabriella, she hurt Troy as well. Just then the doorbell rang. Celina looked up with worry.

"Crap…now what!" Celina said as she walked over to the nearest window. She looked out and saw Julio standing on the other side of the door with Jack Bolton. Celina cursed him under her breath and looked at Gabriella. She picked her up and began to carry her up the stairs. Troy took this as his cue to run, he ran back into Gabriella's room and hid in her closet. After a few seconds Toy heard the door open. He heard someone curse and then a loud thud. The door was closed quickly and he heard someone racing down the stairs. Assuming that Celina was gone Troy stepped out of the closet. He looked on the floor to find a very bruised Gabriella.

"Oh Brie…" He muttered as he went to pick her up. Gabriella winced at his touch, so Troy picked her up carefully and placed her on the bed.

"First aid kit…" He mumbled as he searched Gabriella's room. Gabriella was a very organised person, as well as one for safety. Troy knew with all this abuse going on, she had to have something to patch her up. He looked under her bed and found a first aid kit. He opened the box and found everything in it. Slowly Troy began to bandage and apply ointment to all of Gabriella's bruises.

**Two Hours Later…**

Gabriella opened her eyes slowly. She had a huge headache and her body hurt more than ever. She sat up slowly to find herself in her room and on her bed. Usually she was dumped on the floor and left unattended. She placed her hand on her arm to find it bandaged up. _Okay something must be wrong_, she thought to herself. She was never bandaged or anything. Gabriella turned on her side and nearly fainted. Troy was right beside her, with a roll of bandages in his hand. Gabriella gasped.

"What if he…?" She began to say. Just then Troy opened his eyes.

"Morning…" She said.

"Actually it's night now." Troy replied as he sat up. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at Gabriella. She looked a lot less pale and much more livelier but she was still weak.

"You should lay down." Troy said breaking the few seconds of silence. Gabriella nodded, not knowing what to say.

"You know what, it's okay Brie. I'm not mad. You can tell me when you're ready." Troy said. He didn't want Gabriella to know that he knew about Celina and her mother.

"Huh?" Gabriella replied. Troy sighed and got off the bed. He placed the bandage roll in the first aid kit and put it back under the bed.

"I came in at night and found you like this, well without the bandages…" Troy said. Well he lied. He didn't want Gabriella to feel any more uncomfortable than she already was. Gabriella nodded.

"Well I should get going now." Troy said walking towards the balcony doors. Gabriella watched him walk out into the darkness.

"Thank you…" She called out knowing that he was already gone. Gabriella sighed as she closed her eyes. She knew that Troy wouldn't leave this subject. If she got through this all without anyone finding out then it would be a miracle.

* * *

**Okay that's it! My shortest chapter but i like it! Do you? Please review**

**Until next time**

**peace x**


	8. Seven To Go

**Okay well here we go another chapter of My Cinderella Story just for all you readers...i'd like to say thanks to everyone who reviewed it's great to get soem feedback and reviews always inspire me!**

**in this chapter you might dislike or hate one of the chracters a lot...but itz not the obviuos ones hmm...**

**so read on!**

* * *

It was Friday morning; a week after Troy's discovery, and the twosome were on their way to school together.

"Hmm…would you rather eat a earthworm sandwich or a salmon pie?" Troy asked Gabriella. Gabriella thought for a moment

"Urm salmon pie…I hate worms!" She answered and scrunched up her nose. Troy laughed, _she looks so cute when she does that_, he thought as they walked on.

"Your turn…" He said. Gabriella bit her lip whilst thinking.

"Urm…" She said. Troy stopped.

"Well can't carry on now. We're at school…" He said. Gabriella turned her head and sure enough they were at school. Gabriella giggled as Troy grabbed her hand and ran into East High. Everyone smiled as they watched the pair laugh and joke about, everyone but Chanel.

"Only eight to go." She said with a small smile on her face. She slammed her locker door and strutted down the corridors off towards the drama theatre.

**With Sharpay and Zeke…**

Sharpay watched as Chanel went into the theatre. The blonde scowled at the retreating back of the treacherous brunette.

"I swear down I will get her back if it's the last thing I do. No one takes anything from Sharpay Evans." Sharpay glared at Chanel. Zeke put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Sharpay turned to face her friend. Her heart fluttered as she looked up at his friendly face.

"Shar if you get her back then that means that you're exactly like her. I mean you don't want that now do you?" Zeke said wisely. Sharpay thought for a moment, tilting her head slightly. Zeke straightened her head for her; he never liked it when anyone tilted their head.

"No I don't. If I'm like her that means that I look fake. I mean Chanel is so dolled up compared to Gabriella. She just feels comfortable in her own skin." Sharpay stated. Zeke nodded and the two began to walk together. As they strode down the hallways they linked arms and sometimes held hands. People stopped and stared at the two friends become more than friends. Zeke noticed them and took a deep breath.

"Shar I've got something to ask you." He said. Sharpay stopped and looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"W-would you like to go out with me sometime?" Zeke asked nervously. He looked at Sharpay's expression turn from curious to absolutely happy. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Yes…yes…yes!" She yelled. Zeke smiled and relaxed. It was all good. Sharpay unattached her arms and linked her hand with his. They walked down the hall hand in hand, into their homeroom. The gang was seated at the back as usual. Ms Darbus was surprisingly not present. Zeke and Sharpay walked up to the gang with grins on their faces.

"No Chad x does not equal 6. I mean that doesn't even fit! Where did you get that from?" Taylor asked her boyfriend. Chad scratched his head searching for the right answer.

"I just made it up." He admitted. This earned him a slap on the head from Taylor. She never joked when it came to studying and homework.

"Honestly…you dimwit!" Taylor said shaking her head. Chad's head dropped and he sat in silence. Taylor looked up at Sharpay and Zeke standing in front of her grinning away. She noticed their joint hands but didn't pay any attention. Sharpay purposefully cleared her throat so Taylor would look up again. Taylor did as she was told and looked up. Sharpay smiled and looked down at their hands. Taylor jumped up.

"OMG!" She yelled. The whole classroom was quiet and everyone looked to see what was happening. Taylor began to jump up and down.

"Hand-holding! They're hand holding!!" She yelled. The whole class looked at her in confusion. Taylor sighed and stopped jumping.

"Future couple!" Taylor said. They whole class yelled a quick cheer before Ms Darbus walked in and hushed them. Sharpay and Zeke took their seats and began talking to their friends.

"This is so great!" Taylor began. "Me and Chad, Shar and Zeke, Kels and Jase. All we have to do is get Troy and Gabi together. And find someone for Ryan and Martha." Taylor explained. Sharpay nodded and went back to talking with Zeke.

"Taylorrr! I'm stuck!" Chad cried out in help. Taylor rolled her eyes and went back to helping Chad with his math.

**With Troy, Gabriella and Kelsi…**

"So I was thinking that you two could sing that song or another at the school talent show. The whole school would love it. Especially the chemistry you've got going on. It's lovely. So what d'you think? Do you want to do it or not?" Kelsi asked the pair that were seated in front of her. Troy and Gabriella looked at each other not knowing what to say.

"Urm I don't know Kelsi. I don't think my parents will like that." Gabriella said after thinking for a moment. Kelsi looked confused.

"Well I think it'll be fine considering the fact that Chanel is president of the drama club." She explained. Gabriella nodded weakly. Troy noticed this and jumped into the conversation.

"I don't think I can do it either." He said. Kelsi looked at him in shock.

"But Troy you love singing! Ever since Jen made you stand up that one karaoke night." She said. Troy shrugged.

"Oh well, I just don't feel like it." He ended the conversation at that. Kelsi looked down feeling a little disappointed. She felt someone put a hand on her shoulder and looked to see who it was.

"Don't worry about it." Jason told his girlfriend. Kelsi smiled and then turned around again. Jason sat back in his seat thinking. He had a pen in his mouth and he was studying Chanel. She definitely had something to hide, but then again everyone had something they hid away from the world. He spotted Chanel turn around and glare at Troy and Gabriella and then look away. Jason made a face; he had seen her do that a lot lately. Jason took the pen out of his mouth and placed it on the desk in front of him. It had been a day since he began his investigation on the sibling of Gabriella Montez. All he had learnt was that she was now head of the drama club. Jason knew he needed to talk to Sharpay and ask her what really happened even if it meant showing his friends the real him. Jason liked having a double life. It was nice to act dopey and it made his friends laugh. But the smart Jason was yearning to come out.

"So I was thinking that we should have a party at my house." Sharpay was saying. She was seated next to Zeke talking about her latest party.

"A welcome Gabriella sleepover!" The idea sprung into her head.

"Well I don't know if I can come…plus I came a week ago so it won't be really welcoming." Gabriella began to say. Sharpay gave her a look.

"Did you not hear me? A welcome GABRIELLA sleepover! There can't be a sleepover if there's no Gabriella! It'll be belated so what?" Sharpay stated. The gang nodded and looked over and Gabriella who was beginning to look really nervous. Troy couldn't hold it in much longer.

"She'll be there." He blurted out. Everyone, including Gabriella, looked at him.

"Yeah she'll be there." He repeated his sentence. The gang nodded in agreement.

"Great! Glad that's sorted!" Sharpay said as she launched into a conversation about the latest fashion with Martha. Troy looked at Gabriella, who was doodling on her notebook. He gazed at her waiting for her to look up. Gabriella could feel his eyes settle on her but forced herself not to look. He was just trying to get her to look at him, that was all. Gabriella wasn't that bothered about Troy right now, but she was bothered with the fact that she was going to be at the sleepover. How? Was the question on her mind.

"And that young thespians is the art of Shakespeare." Ms Darbus finished her daily rant as the bell went. The class stood up and filed out of the classroom yawning and whispering thanks to the bell. Jason draped and arm around Kelsi as they walked out.

"How did that song end up then?" He asked, remembering the day before.

"It was great. Troy and Gabi tested it out for me." Kelsi said smiling.

"Oh really? What did they sound like?" Jason asked, interested in finding out the answer.

"Like a young couple in love." She said with a dreamy look on her face. Jason smiled as he walked on with his girlfriend.

"I get it!" Chad said jumping up and down. Taylor laughed at her boyfriend's reaction to his correct answer.

"Well done Chad. Only ten more to go." She said. Chad stopped jumping and groaned. Taylor felt sorry for him.

"Don't worry I'll help you." She said. Chad's smile returned to his face as they walked on. Sharpay and Zeke were walking alongside them.

"Hmm I like cupcakes…" Sharpay said. Zeke nodded.

"Okay then that's tomorrow's special!" He announced. Sharpay smiled and wrapped her arm around his waist. Zeke responded by draping his arm over her shoulder as they walked to class.

"They look like a couple already." Gabriella said admiring her two friends.

"They were already like a couple. Now they've just finalised it." Troy said. Gabriella nodded. Ryan and Martha were walking alongside the two.

"Oh Gabi you said you were going to try out for dance right?" Martha asked. Gabriella nodded again.

"Well auditions are today free period." Martha told her. Gabriella nodded again. Martha smiled at her friend but noticed that something was up. She looked at Troy and he too noticed that there was something wrong. He looked at Martha and gave her a small nod. Martha took this as an invitation to leave.

"So Ryan…" Martha said as she led their hat-frenzy friend away from the pair. Troy stopped, as did Gabriella.

"What's wrong?" She asked in a quiet voice. Troy looked at her and she refused to meet his eyes.

"I should be asking you that question." Troy responded. He put his hand on her shoulder and watched as she winced. Gabriella had received some new bruises, one that weren't patched up after she had them

"Ow…" She whispered as she tried to slip out of his grip. Troy groaned he didn't want to ignore this any longer.

"Stop Gabriella! Stop lying to me!" Gabriella looked taken aback by Troy's outburst.

"W-what d-do you m-mean?" She stuttered.

"God!" He said as he grabbed her by the hand and dragged her down the hallway. He found an empty classroom and closed the door behind him. Gabriella was standing in front of him scared of what was going to happen.

"I just want to know what's going on with you Brie." He said softly. Gabriella looked down.

"I have nothing to tell." She said. Troy groaned again.

"Look at me. Look at me Gabriella and tell me that you have nothing to tell. No secrets no nothing!" He almost yelled. Gabriella knew he was dead serious. She looked up into his deep blue eyes and opened her mouth. Nothing came out.

"I…" She wanted to say something but couldn't. Instead she fell onto the floor with a loud sob. Troy knelt down beside her and took her into his arms.

"I can't tell you, I just can't." She said between cries. Troy nodded and held onto her.

"It's okay, it's okay Brie." He whispered he knew she wasn't ready but at least she admitted that she had something to hide. Troy sat beside Gabriella comforting her as she let her tears out. Gabriella realised that Troy was now her pillow, her new way to get rid of her frustration. Only she didn't scream into him, she just looked at him and her problems faded away.

**In Chemistry…**

Taylor and Sharpay sat at the same desk looking up at the clock. Gabriella and Troy still hadn't arrived for the lesson. Sharpay looked over at Taylor who looked like she was going to burst if she didn't know what was up.

"Relax Tay. Gabi is probably with Troy. They'll be fine." She reassured her friend. Taylor and Gabriella had gotten closer in the past week. They were like second best friends. Sharpay sighed as she watched another minute go to waste. Chanel was seated in front of her. Sharpay felt like grabbed her by the hair and banging her head down on the table. But the mature Sharpay was against that and Sharpay remained seated. Jason looked at the two girls and took this as a chance to ask a few questions. Mr Anderson had set the class task and was now seated at his desk probably playing solitaire on his laptop. Taylor was scribbling away in her exercise book and Sharpay was looking for a pen. Jason got up from his seat and took the extra seat next to Sharpay.

"Hey Jase…you got a pen?" Sharpay asked her "dopey" friend. Jason nodded and took a pen out of his pocket.

"Thanks." Sharpay smiled and thanked him as she took the pen off him. Jason smiled back and stayed silent. He thought about whether he should ask Sharpay or not. He looked up at the clock and sighed. Better now than later.

"Hey Shar…" He began to say. Sharpay looked up from her paper and stared at Jason.

"I wanted to ask you something…" He said. Sharpay waited for him to go on.

"Well you know Chanel…" As soon as Jason said Chanel, Sharpay's smile turned into a frown.

"Yeah what about that backstabbing cow?" Sharpay asked. Jason shifted uncomfortably on his stool.

"Well I just wanted to ask you about what she said when you found out that she was the one who kicked you out, I mean made Ms Darbus kick you out." Jason asked. Sharpay thought for a moment.

"She said…only eight to go." Sharpay stated. Jason nodded and noted that in his mind, after all it could have a lot of meanings.

"Why?" Sharpay asked. Jason looked taken aback, he wasn't expecting Sharpay to ask why he was asking her a question.

"Just wanted to know." He said as he stood up to go back to his seat. Sharpay shrugged and went back to doodling on her exercise book.

"It's been 10 minutes since the last time I looked at the clock!" Taylor exclaimed as she looked at the time once again. Sharpay groaned.

"They'll be here any second now." She said. Just then a weary Gabriella and a comforting Troy walked into the class. They walked up to the teacher and explained their reason for being late. Then the pair went to sit down.

"Psst…psst Gabi!" Taylor said. Gabriella kept her head down and Troy looked over at Taylor.

"What?" He asked. Taylor sighed.

"I asked for Gabi not you!" She said. Troy shrugged.

"Well you got me…so spit it out." He replied. Gabriella was still looking down. Not wanting to go through some kind inquiry.

"Where did you two go?" She asked wanting to know the full details.

"No where…we were just talking and lost track of time. Relax Tay." Troy said as he began to start his work. Taylor made a face and then gave up. Jason caught this face and smiled. It was so like Taylor to be in a mood when she didn't get her way. Jason watched as Chanel stood up and walked to the teacher. She gave him a note and he nodded. She walked back to her seat and grabbed her bag; on her way out she winked at Jason as if she knew he was looking at her. Jason made a face and then walked over to Mr Anderson's desk.

"Sir, I need the loo. May I be excused?" He asked politely. Mr Anderson thought for a moment and nodded. Jason walked out of the class and saw Chanel walking off in one direction. He decided to follow her; something told him that she was up to no good. Chanel turned a corner and headed straight for the girls toilet. Jason stood at a far end waiting for her to come out. Then he remembered that he really had to go so he sprinted into the boy's toilet not realising that Chanel was still in the girl's toilet. As Jason went into the boy's toilets, Chanel came out of the girl's toilets and walked straight down the corridor into the principles office.

**Back in Chemistry…**

Troy and Gabriella were both working. Gabriella was doing more work than Troy as usual but her mind wasn't set on it. She just wanted to cry some more and have Troy place his arms around her, making her feel safe. She looked over at the blue-eyed boy and smiled a little. He was amazing and Gabriella knew that she was starting to like him as more than a friend. She sighed as she looked down at her work; all his kind and loving gestures had finally got to her. Gabriella Montez truly liked someone. She smiled a little more as she began writing up the rest of her work. Troy looked over at his Brie; well he wanted her to be his anyway. He thought of what it would be like if they were together. Would she be happier? Or would she just stay the same? He sighed thinking that it would never happen. Not with all the things that occurred at the Montez home. Troy closed his eyes for a moment and the image of Gabriella lying on the floor with blood all over her flashed in his mind. He opened his eyes quickly and looked over at Gabriella as if he were trying to reassure himself that she was okay.

**Half an hour later…**

Chemistry was over and the gang headed towards the gym.

"…So she just left half way through Kels. I had to go to the toilet so I must have missed her…" Jason explained. Kelsi nodded, she knew her boyfriends worries and wanted to make him feel better. But the thing was that she didn't know how. It was pretty difficult for her because Jason wasn't like other guys. Kelsi just smiled at her boyfriend and held on to his hand tightly. Jason grinned back and Kelsi felt relieved. Words weren't able to fix his woes but gestures were. Taylor and Sharpay followed the couple.

"…They still won't tell me Shar." Taylor complained. She looked back at the silent pair and sighed.

"Well I'm sure they'll tell you when they're ready. If you keep on begging them then they'll hold back for, like, ever." Sharpay gave her friend some advice. Taylor was about to answer back but decided not to. What Sharpay was saying actually made sense.

"You know what…you're right." Taylor said. Sharpay smiled.

"Aren't I always!" She said. Taylor shook her head and began talking about Sharpay's party. Troy and Gabriella walked at the back, hand in hand. He squeezed her hand once in a while as a gesture of reassurance. Gabriella smiled slightly thinking of how much he cared about her. But her mind was mostly on the party. It was a big thing and everyone wanted her to be there.

"You know I could ask for you." Troy spoke first, breaking the solemn silence. Gabriella looked up at his concerned face.

"Huh?" She said quietly. He voice didn't come out properly as it was still affected by all the crying.

"You know the party. I could come over and ask your moth- Celina for you." Troy corrected himself. He didn't want to call Celina Gabriella's mother. Not after what he saw.

"How?" Gabriella asked.

"Well she loves me, so I'll just say that one of our friends is holding a sleepover and she wants you to come with me. Don't worry about it." He explained. Gabriella nodded although she still doubted his "plan". They reached the gym and walked through. The boys and girls departed and went to the separate locker rooms to get changed.

**Ten minutes later…**

Gabriella walked out of the girl's locker room in her gym clothes. She spotted Troy seated at the far end of the gym with Zeke. They looked like they were in a heated conversation so she didn't want to interrupt. Instead she went to stand by Ryan.

"Hey Gabs." Ryan greeted his friend. Gabriella nodded at him. Ryan smiled at her but it wasn't returned.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Gabriella sighed.

"Nothing." She said. This time it was Ryan's turn to sigh.

"You expect me to believe that? The whole not talking, letting out huge sighs is a big sign that something is wrong. Besides I can read you like a book. I have that kind of power." Ryan explained. Gabriella nodded and sighed again. Ryan sighed as well. Gabriella looked over at him in annoyance.

"If I don't want to tell you then I don't have to!" She cried as she ran out of the gym. Ryan sighed properly this time. He knew something was up but decided that she should deal with it on her own for now. What he didn't know was that Gabriella wanted someone's company the most at this time.

**With Zeke and Troy…**

"She was all over me dude…it was horrible…" Troy finished telling Zeke about the bathroom incident at his house a week ago. Zeke scrunched up his nose in disgust.

"I knew I hated her…" He said. Troy nodded knowing that when Zeke said he hated someone then he really meant it. Troy looked up to see Gabriella talking to Ryan. Well Ryan was doing most of the talking. Then Gabriella said something and ran out. Troy jumped out of his seat and over to the other side of the gym.

"Where did she go?" He asked as he reached Ryan. Ryan shrugged and Troy groaned. He ran out of the gym in search of Gabriella. Just then he ran into a brunette. She turned around and Troy let out a sigh of relief.

"There you are Brie. I was looking for you." He said as he placed his hand on her shoulders. Gabriella looked a bit taken aback but then a smile appeared on her face.

"Well you've found me…" She said in a seductive voice. Troy raised an eyebrow.

"You okay?" He asked with concern. Gabriella stepped closer to him.

"I am now…" She whispered as she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Troy was surprised this wasn't like Gabriella. She would never take a risk like this. Troy tired his best to separate from her, but she wouldn't let go. _She's not Gabriella!_ The idea sprung into his mind. He pushed her off and stared at her smirking face.

"What's with you Gabriella?" He asked the girl who was clearly not Gabriella.

"Nothing…just having a bit of fun Troy boy…" 'Gabriella' winked as she walked past Troy swaying her hips from side to side. Troy watched her walk away and sighed.

"That was definitely not Gabriella." Troy said to himself. Just then he heard soft sobs coming from close by. He walked a little further and looked around every corner. Five minutes later he found his best friend crying her heart out.

"Brie…" He spoke softly. Gabriella looked up and saw Troy coming towards her. He sat down next to her and held her hand.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Gabriella looked down, not wanting to look up. Troy lifted her chin with his finger and looked at her in the eye.

"What's wrong?" He asked again. He could see the pain and the depression in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak.

"…It hurts Troy…" She said. Troy could feel his heart breaking into two as he looked at the tears falling down her face. It pained him to see the hurt on her face and the bruises that were visible on her shoulders.

"I know Brie…I know…" He repeated these few words that gave her the comfort she needed. Gabriella couldn't take it any longer. She needed to let it out.

"She hits me Troy…she actually hits me…" Gabriella said between cries. Troy nodded.

"I know…" Troy said. Gabriella looked at him in disbelief. Troy let out a big sigh.

"I saw her beating you up…and I wanted to help y'no I really did…b-but I couldn't and I feel so guilty about it." Troy's voice cracked as he spoke about the scene he witnessed a week ago. Gabriella listened as he explained what he saw. Her old tears had disappeared and new tears formed in her eyes. Troy held onto her tightly as he told her what he had felt and what he had seen. By the end his speech the pair were in tears just thinking about the whole situation.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Troy whispered as he hugged her. Gabriella nodded and held onto him.

**Back in gym class…**

Jack looked around the gym for his son. He spotted Zeke but not Troy.

"Zeke!" The basketball coach called out. Zeke looked away from Sharpay and looked at the coach.

"Yea?" He asked. Jack walked over to the cooking-crazy teen.

"Where's Troy?" Jack asked with a concerned look on his face. Troy wasn't one to skip class, especially gym, so what was the reason for his unattendance now? It wasn't the fact that Troy wasn't here for gym; it was the question of why? It must have been very important seeing as he had missed an hour of volleyball, his second favourite sport.

"There…" Zeke pointed out after a while. Jack looked over to where Zeke was pointing and sure enough Troy was standing there. Jack noticed he was holding someone by the hand. The gym doors closed revealing a very worn-out Gabriella. Jack let out a sigh of relief. At least he knew that his son wasn't playing hooky alone. Jack thanked Zeke and ran over to Troy.

"Where were you?" He asked in a soft tone. Jack Bolton never spoke harshly to Troy it was completely beneath him. Troy looked over at Gabriella before answering.

"Brie had to go to the nurses office so I offered to help." Troy lied. He hated lying to his father but he had to, for Gabriella's sake. Gabriella noticed how uncomfortable and tensed up Troy was about lying. She squeezed his hand to give him a little bit of reassurance. Jack looked over at Gabriella and his heart went out to her. She looked like she wasn't having a good time. Jack thought he would excuse the pair for the time being.

"Okay, that's alright." Jack said as he left the pair.

"OKAY THEN EVERYONE HALF TIME IS OVER BACK TO VOLLEYBALL!" he yelled as he walked towards the other side of the gym. Gabriella and Troy sat on the side not participating in the game but just being there for one another.

**After gym with Taylor and Martha…**

"Hey M, could ya wait for me whilst I go ask my team something?" Taylor asked her friend as they walked past the Biology lab. Martha nodded.

"Sure." She said as Taylor walked into the lab. Taylor smiled as she saw all the posters hanging up on the walls and all the equations acting as borders on the walls. Taylor loved science, it fascinated her and she was well into it. If she weren't on the Scholastic Decathlon team then she wouldn't know what she would do. It meant a lot to her. After all the Scholastic Decathlon team were the ones who made her say yes to Chad. And that was the best thing ever. She remembered it as if it were yesterday…

"_Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with a science book on top?" Chad trailed behind Taylor as she walked towards the biology lab. Taylor sighed and rolled her eyes; it was as if he was a lost puppy trying to get an owner. Taylor certainly didn't want to be the owner of a puppy like Chad, no matter how cute he was. Taylor did a double take. Cute? Taylor thought. She shook her head, thinking that she was out of her mind. She walked into the biology lab and placed her books on the front desk. She unwrapped her scarf from around her neck and placed it on top of her books._

"_Please…" Chad said in a strained voice. Taylor sighed and walked up to him._

"_Chad…" She began to say, Chad looked up hopefully._

"_No!" She cried as she slammed the door in his face. She shook her head and turned around to find her team standing in front of her. Diane, her right-hand girl, followed Taylor as she made her way over to the desk._

"_You know he is kind of cute…" Diane began to say. Taylor grabbed a chalk and began writing on the board._

"_Yeah I know…I mean then why don't you date him!" Taylor corrected herself. Diane smiled; she knew she had caught something or another. She beckoned for the rest of the team to join in._

"_He always buys you gifts on your birthday, valentine's day and not to mention Christmas." Another girl, Stacie chimed in. Taylor nodded._

"_He does doesn't he…I mean well that means he's obsessed and I don't like obsessive guys!" Taylor kicked herself for letting herself say the first part._

"_He always talks about you and it's never bad things." Joseph another team member added. Taylor nodded whilst biting her bottom lip. Then the whole team began shooting comments at her._

"…_Always talks to you, even when there was the status quo…"_

"…_Never gives up on you…"_

"…_Always remembers the important dates in your life…"_

"…_Kills anyone who back chats about you…"_

"…_Was there to comfort you when your father died…" When the last one was said the whole team shut up. Taylor sniffed as she ran to the door. She flung it open and looked outside. She saw his retreating back and bouncy hair down the hall._

"_CHAD!" She screamed as she ran over to him. Chad turned around just in time to catch her in his arms. _

"_Yes…" She said. Chad's eyes widened as she spoke._

"_Yes…I will go out with you…" Taylor said breathlessly. Chad smiled and then picked up and twirled her around in circles. Down the corridor the rest of the team watched happily as they saw their captain happy for the first tine in ages._

Taylor walked up to Diane who was seated at the desk.

"Hey…" She said, as she got closer. Diane looked up and smiled slightly. This was all Taylor needed to see.

"What's wrong?" She said automatically. Diane handed her a note. Taylor looked at the note before opening it.

**Taylor McKessie you are hereby suspended from the Scholastic Decathlon Team due to recent issues of cheating. Miss Montez will be taking your place. My condolences, your Principle.**

Taylor looked up from the note. She had tears in her eyes and anger written on her face. She scrunched up the note and kept it in her clenched fist. She stomped out of the class and past a patiently waiting Martha. Martha spotted her friend storm pass and ran to catch up with her. She saw the fire in Taylor's face and became very worried.

"What's wrong?" Martha asked several times as they walked towards the canteen. Taylor just stayed silent and didn't acknowledge her. In the end Martha gave up and decided to watch as Taylor let out her wrath on an unexpected young girl.

**At the gang's table…**

Kelsi and Jason sat side by side. Kelsi was going through her music sheets whereas Jason was going over his notes. Seated next to them were the loved up couple, Zeke and Sharpay. Sharpay was sat in Zeke's lap as he fed her little pieces of a cookie. She smiled as she looked down on him. Chad was talking to Troy and Ryan about the upcoming basketball season. Ryan had recently joined the basketball team and was looking forward to his first official game. Gabriella was seated beside Troy and was holding his hand. She laid her head on his side as she thought. If only she knew what was going to happen to her next. Taylor stomped up to the table.

"Get up you lying cow!" Taylor said harshly. Everyone looked up at their 'calm' friend. They looked around to see who she was talking to and their eyes widened in surprise as they realised it was Gabriella. Gabriella squeezed Troy's hand, frightened of what was happening.

"Get up then! Or are you too scared?" Taylor challenged her 'best friend'. Gabriella stood up, shaking from head to toe.

"W-What happened?" She was afraid to ask but asked anyway.

"Like you don't know!" Taylor said as she scoffed. The whole room was quiet and everyone was staring at the two girls. Troy stood up beside Gabriella.

"What did she do?" He wanted to know. Taylor switched her eyes from Gabriella to Troy.

"She got me kicked of the bloody Scholastic Decathlon team!" Taylor yelled. Everyone looked taken aback. Taylor never yelled. Gabriella went pale. Troy looked at the colour of Gabriella's face and guessed that she had nothing to do with it. Wait he knew that she had nothing to do with it.

"So…?" Taylor demanded, switching back to glaring at Gabriella.

"I-I d-d-didn't d-do it." She stuttered. Taylor scoffed.

"Yeah right. Like I'm going to believe that load of crap!" She said. This time Chad stood up, shocked at the tone his girlfriend was using.

"Tay stop it." He said calmly. Taylor's expression softened as she looked at Chad but her tone was the same.

"Why should I? She took everything away from me! I worked so hard to get where I was and she just made me lose it!" Taylor explained. Chad looked her in the eye. Taylor was easy to read; then again Chad was able to read everyone very easily. He could see the hurt, betrayal and anger in her eyes. He looked over at Gabriella and read her like a book. She was scared, upset and confused. Chad sighed.

"She didn't do it." He said. Taylor looked at him in shock.

"What do you mean by that! Are you going to stick up for her now!" Taylor couldn't believe her own boyfriend. Chad closed his eyes; he couldn't believe that this was happening.

"Stop it Taylor, just stop it. She didn't do it and you know it. Even you can figure that out. Gabs isn't that hard to read." Chad said. Taylor scoffed.

"So you've been reading her all day. Maybe you should just date her then, oh wait she's too busy doing Troy, she won't even look at you twice!" Taylor said. Once these words left her mouth the teens that were seated were now standing up. Chanel smiled as she watched her plan in action.

"That's enough Taylor." Troy said.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Sharpay said. She couldn't believe her eyes; Taylor was accusing her own friend of doing something she would never do.

"Leave Gabi alone." Jason said. Gabriella was like a sister to him, just like Kelsi was a sister to Troy. He didn't like anyone talking about her in a bad way.

"Just go…" Kelsi said, she was never one to argue and now she just wanted this argument to stop.

"You're wrong Taylor, Gabriella would never do that, she would never risk you friendship just to get a place on your team." Zeke said. A part of Taylor listened to these comments. Even she was surprised at the words that flew out of her mouth. She eyed Gabriella who was nearly as white as a ghost; Taylor smiled.

"Go to hell…" She said as she walked away from the table. Everyone stared as Taylor walked off. Gabriella was trying not to break out in tears. Troy was trying to comfort Gabriella. Chad was watching in awe as his girlfriend walked away. Zeke and Sharpay were also shocked, they had known Taylor for a long time and she was never like this. Kelsi went over to Gabriella and tried to comfort her with Troy. Jason's eyes automatically rested on Chanel. She was smiling like there was no tomorrow.

"Chanel…" He said loud enough for the rest of the gang to hear. They all looked at him in confusion. Jason looked at the scrunched up note that Taylor had left on the table. He scanned it and smiled.

"It says Miss Montez not Gabriella Montez. There are no initials, nothing. This was a set up." Jason pointed out. The gang looked at him, impressed with his discovery. Just then a light bulb went off in Troy's head.

"You guys, I bumped into a girl who looked exactly like Brie today and guess what it wasn't her. Although it looked a lot like her. She kissed me straight off and guess who it was…"

"Chanel!" The whole gang said the name. Gabriella smiled a little; it felt nice knowing that her friends would back her up.

**At the end of the school day…**

Gabriella and Troy walked home together. They were unable to track down Chanel seeing as she had already left school early. Gabriella had brightened up a little after her friend reassured her that everything was going to be okay, but somehow she doubted that. The pair were now standing in front of the Montez house. Troy hugged Gabriella and wasn't planning on letting go.

"Come to my house for a bit." He said. Gabriella shook her head.

"I can't, I'm sorry." She said. Troy nodded. Gabriella let go of him and took a deep breath. She kept on going until his touch left her body. Gabriella shivered; she was left cold without his warmth. She looked at him for the last time and smiled before turning around. With every step she took she counted up to ten. The beating she had gotten last week was the worst ever. Back in San Francisco she never had this problem. Her family would ignore her most of the time and she would ignore them. Gabriella wondered why it was different here in Albuquerque. She looked back and saw Troy standing behind the gate watching her until she went inside. Gabriella smiled and waved goodbye as she entered the house. She shut the door and came face to face with Celina and Chanel. They were smirking and smiling.

"Seven to go!" Chanel said before Gabriella felt Celina slap her across the face.

"Seven to go…"

**

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**The end of another chapter!! review please...**

**until the next update**

**peace xx**


	9. Not So Welcoming Sleepover

**Hellooo! Back again with a new chapter... i hope everyone had a merry Christmas...i don't celebrate it myself but i hope you all had a good one**

**Anyway personally i don't like this chapter but it's not my view that matters...it's yours! **

* * *

** Outside the kitchen…**

Gabriella leaned on the wall and opened her ears to hear what was going on in the kitchen. She made sure that no one could hear her as she moved closer to the door.

"Yes but…" She could hear Troy's deep voice flow through the room. He was currently in a conversation with Celina. Gabriella could sense the nervousness in his voice. Gabriella was too afraid to go up to Celina and ask for permission herself so she got the next best thing. Troy. He had offered to do it anyway. Gabriella leaned closer in so her body was pressed against the door. She pushed away some of her hair and listened closely to what was being said inside the kitchen.

**With Troy…**

"It'll be a great way for Brie to mix in with my friends. She's only known them for a few days and they have been planning this ever since they met her!" Troy argued. Celina wasn't coming to any terms at the moment. She was strictly bent on not letting Gabriella out. Julio was just sitting in a corner, thinking.

"Come on Ms M, don't you wasn't Brie to have a good time?" Troy questioned. He wanted to see what answer Celina would come out with.

"Of course I do Troy." Celina said. Troy could hear the forcefulness in her voice as she said this line.

"Well then you should let her come." Troy said hoping that Celina would just give up. Celina threw her arms in the air and looked over at Julio.

"Well…?" She said expecting him to contribute to her decision.

"Well I think Gabriella should go." Julio said after a moment of hesitation. Troy's face lit up with a smile and Celina's face darkened as she frowned.

"What?" Celina said as she gave her husband a glare. "For all we know she could be doing drugs and having alcohol at this so called party!" Celina tried to show some fake concern. Troy rolled his eyes knowing that this was only another way in getting Gabriella to stay.

"Celina it's a sleepover, I don't see the drug and alcohol bit in that. Plus Troy is there with her. And he won't let her anything bad right?" Julio looked at Troy. Troy nodded vigorously.

"Good then that's settled. She's going." Julio announced. Troy thanked him and walked out of the room to go and tell Gabriella. Celina looked at Julio in confusion. Julio just shrugged and continued reading his newspaper. Celina groaned loudly and walked out of the room. She didn't see the smile on Julio's face as she walked out.

**Outside with Gabriella…**

Gabriella heard someone walking towards the door so she ran around the corner. She waited to hear who had come out. She heard gentle footsteps and someone clearing their throat. Gabriella relaxed as she realised it was Troy. Troy walked round the corner in search of Gabriella. He found her and gave her a huge grin.

"What did she say?" Gabriella asked impatiently. Troy wiped the grin off his face and stayed silent for a moment, just to add to the excitement and suspense. Gabriella waited for him to carry on with big eyes and an eager expression.

"She said…well actually your Dad came in and said yes!" Troy announced. Gabriella looked gob smacked. Her Dad said yes? He actually said something in favour of her? Gabriella couldn't get her head around it. She stayed in her state of shock until she felt Troy pick her up and twirl her around. She smiled as he spun her around in his arms.

"Come one then missy. Let's grab your things. I don't want to leave you here on your own now. Celina did look a bit cross." Troy said as he took Gabriella's hand and led her up the stairs. They entered Gabriella's room and Troy took a seat on her bed. He watched as she grabbed a duffel bag and packed it with a pair of clothes, her nightclothes and some other things. Gabriella zipped up the bag and grabbed Troy's hand as they made their way out. They passed Chanel on their way down and she gave the pair a glare. Well it was directed towards Gabriella rather than Troy. Gabriella just held her head up high and walked past. The pair exited the house and Gabriella took the passenger seat besides Troy in his car. Troy put the key in the ignition and they were off.

**At Sharpay's house – mansion…**

Sharpay, Ryan, Chad, Zeke, Jason, Martha and Kelsi were sat in the Evans living room waiting for the remaining three to arrive.

"I doubt she's coming." Martha said, referring to Taylor, she looked at the rest of the group with a bored expression. They nodded at her statement, knowing that she could be right. It was pretty quiet for once, usually something or another was happening. Chad wasn't running around the house with underwear on his head, making a fool of himself. Sharpay wasn't screaming and having a tantrum about how everything was wrong and her clothes were horrible. Martha wasn't grooving to the music blasting from any stereo near her. Kelsi wasn't paying any attention to her music. Jason was quiet and no dopey remarks had come out of his mouth. Zeke hadn't even bought his homemade cookies. And Ryan wasn't wearing a hat! It was all gone wrong. Chad's phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He jumped off the couch and answered the call. The other's watched as he walked out of the room with a serious face on.

"Wow, he's never had that look on his face before." Zeke said, trying to lighten the mood. All he received was a grunt from Jason. Chad re-entered the room.

"Tay is coming." He announced. The gang looked shocked.

"But she – and Gabi…well this isn't going to be very welcoming is it." Sharpay stated as she looked at Chad. The rest nodded in agreement. The doorbell rang and Sharpay stood up to go answer the door. A minute later she escorted Gabriella and Troy into the living room.

"Hey!" Troy said, as he looked at all their depressed faces.

"Hi…" Gabriella said quietly. She was still quite quiet after yesterday's events. None of the other's responded and the pair exchanged glances.

"Okay this is enough!" Ryan said as he stood up.

"We shouldn't be depressed over a misunderstanding. Taylor is coming and I say that we are getting this sorted!" Ryan announced. Everyone looked at him in amazement. Ryan was never one to offer his ideas and he certainly didn't stand up and talk to everyone just like he had done now.

"Yeah I second that!" Jason said as he stood up. The amazement and shock was back again as they watched Jason stand next to Ryan. Even Ryan was amazed.

"So what do you guys say?" Ryan asked. Everyone smiled and stood up one by one. Then the doorbell rang and Chad decided that it would be best is he answered the door. Everyone nodded in agreement and let him go. A second later Chad returned with Taylor, who was dangling on his arm.

"Hey everyone!" Taylor said happily. She looked at Gabriella and frowned.

"Okay enough of that Taylor." Troy said as he noticed her expression change. Taylor looked at him.

"You know what Troy just leave it." She said as she placed her bag on the floor.

"No I won't leave it. What you said to Brie yesterday was unfair. Oh not to mention you said something that hurt me and your very own boyfriend!" Troy said. A wave of guilt flew through Taylor's body. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

"Well it's not like I was wrong. She probably is too busy doing you to notice any other guy let alone Chad." Taylor said calmly. Gabriella just took a seat on the couch. Somehow she knew this would end up in disaster. Troy looked at her worried face and gave her a small reassuring smile. Gabriella tried to smile back but couldn't bring herself to do it.

"You know that isn't true Taylor." Troy carried on. Taylor scoffed.

"Puh-lease like anyone here doesn't feel the attraction between the two of you. Plus you were out for half an hour the day my life went upsy daisy. Who knows what you were up to?" Taylor said smartly. No one spoke for a few seconds. It was true that the rest were wondering why the two were absent for that amount of time but they weren't bent on finding out.

"Listen Tay…" Gabriella began to say.

"Stop right there _Gabriella_ only my friends call me Tay." Taylor said. Gabriella closed her mouth and didn't say a word. Taylor smiled triumphantly.

"What kind of buzz are you getting out of this _Taylor_?" Troy asked in a bitter voice. "Are you accepting some kind of award for a good friend gone bad? You know cause you would win hands down! Gabriella was with me for those 30 minutes we weren't in class. She had some things on her mind and I wanted to help her. Martha was there as well. She noticed Gabriella's quietness as well." Troy explained.

"Yeah I did…" Martha added. Taylor glared at Martha as if to say "shut up".

"See…Gabriella isn't some kind of two bit whore who goes around with guys. I think you're mistaking her for her twin sister!" Troy said. This led to a few chuckles from the gang. Taylor let out a long deep breath and calmed herself down.

"I think we should leave this at the moment. Shar invited us all to have a fun sleepover. I don't want to be the one to ruin it." Taylor said. Everyone nodded and looked at Troy. He was still angry at the things that came out of Taylor's mouth. He opened his mouth to protest but then felt someone tugging on his hand. He looked down at Gabriella and his anger faded away.

"Fine." Was all he said before taking his place beside Gabriella.

"Great! Let's get partaying!" Sharpay said as she led the group into her bedroom. Sharpay's bedroom looked just like a flat. Only better. She had her huge four-post bed on a side next to her bedside table and everything to do with sleeping. She had a mini living room, with a plasma TV, couch and table. she had a mini kitchen in the form of a bar.

"Wow this is awesome!" Gabriella said. The rest of the gang just nodded.

"Yeah that's what we said when we first saw it. But you'll get over the thrill." Martha said. She raced over to the huge stereo and loaded a CD. Sharpay had grabbed some microphones and handed one to every to every girl except for Martha.

"First comes the show," Sharpay announced. The boys and Martha (who decided she didn't want to sing) were sat on separate seats – beanbags – on the floor. Sharpay turned up the volume and began to sing.

(regular – Sharpay, italics – Kelsi, **bold – Taylor, **underlined – Gabriella, **All!**)

I'm Miss American Dream since I was 17  
Don't matter if I step on the scene  
Or sneak away to the Philippines  
They still gon put pictures of my derrière in the magazine  
You want a piece of me?  
You want a piece of me…

Sharpay sang along to one of her favourite songs sung by one of her favourite artists. The audience of six cheered as she sang along, perfecting every vocal as she went. Sharpay finished her verse and signalled for Kelsi to start.

_I'm Miss bad media karma  
Another day another drama  
Guess I can't see no harm  
In working and being a mama  
And with a kid on my arm  
I'm still an exceptional earner  
And you want a piece of me_

Kelsi smiled as she sang along. She mimicked some of Britney's moves as she sang. The boys laughed at her attempts and clapped along. Kelsi finished the verse and they began the chorus.

I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the rich and famous**  
**_**(You want a piece of me)**_**  
**_I'm Mrs. Oh my God that Kelsi's Shameless_**  
**_**(You want a piece of me)**_**  
I'm Mrs. Extra! Extra! this just in  
**_**(You want a piece of me)**_**  
**I'm Mrs. she's too big now she's too thin**  
**_**(You want a piece of me)**_

The girls sang as loud as they could. Taking one line each.

_  
_**I'm Mrs. 'You want a piece of me?'  
Tryin' and pissin' me off  
Well get in line with the paparazzi  
Who's flippin' me off  
Hopin' I'll resort to some havoc  
end up settlin' in court  
Now are you sure you want a piece of me?  
You want a piece of me…**

Taylor added attitude to her verse and made it her own. For a few seconds she forgot about her hatred towards Gabriella and smiled at her ex-friend to carry on.

I'm Mrs. 'Most likely to get on TV for strippin' on the streets'  
When getting the groceries, no, for real..  
Are you kidding me?  
no wonder there's panic in the industry

I mean, please, do you want a piece of me?

Troy smiled as he watched Gabriella sing like there was no tomorrow. This was where she belonged and they both knew it.

_I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the rich and famous_  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
**I'm Mrs. Oh my God that Taylor's Shameless**  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
I'm Mrs. Extra! Extra! this just in  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
I'm Mrs. she's too big now she's too thin  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_

The girls belted out the chorus again and then Sharpay took over.

I'm Miss American Dream since I was 17  
Don't matter if I step on the scene  
Or sneak away to the Philippines  
They still gon put pictures of my derrière in the magazine  
_You want a piece of me?_  
**You want a piece piece of me…**

You want a piece of me?

The girls began to dance and move about with the microphones. They waltzed around the six watched as they had a good time. Martha stood up and began to dance along to the music showing everyone that she didn't need to be able to have a voice to be good.

**I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the rich and famous**  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
I'm Mrs. Oh my God that Gabi's Shameless  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
I'm Mrs. Extra! Extra! this just in  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
_I'm Mrs. she's too big now she's too thin_  
(_**You want a piece of me)**_

I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the rich and famous  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
I'm Mrs. Oh my God that Sharpay's Shameless  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
_I'm Mrs. Extra! Extra! This just in_  
_**(You want a piece of me)**_  
**I'm Mrs. she's too big now she's too thin**  
(_**You want a piece of me)**_

They finished the last two choruses' and sang their last words.

**Oh yeah**  
you want a piece of me

_Oh yeah_

Oh yeah

The rest of the gang clapped as the girls finished and took their bows.

"That was great you guys!" Chad said as he stood up. He went and hugged Taylor as she put the mike away.

"Thanks Chad." Taylor said as she gave him a peck on the cheek. The girls awed as the boys made puking faces. The couple came and sat down waiting for Sharpay to announce the next activity.

"Truth or dare!" Sharpay called out. Everyone exchanged glances.

"No way! No way!" Kelsi said as she remembered the last time she had to play truth or dare with Sharpay.

"I'm with Kels on this one." Martha said.

"Yeah Shar you always go to the extreme with dares." Ryan said remembering the time he had to dress up in his mother's undergarments. Ryan shuddered at the thought.

"Well we can't exactly call it truth or truth!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"If we did call it that it'll be much safer!" Zeke added. Sharpay gave her boyfriend a small glare but he didn't back down.

"Okay enough. We'll play truth or dare but Sharpay can't give out the dares." Troy came up with the solution. The gang nodded in agreement whilst Sharpay sulked. Ryan went to fetch the bottle and the gang positioned themselves in a circle. Ryan came back and laid the bottle in the middle.

"You first." He pointed to Troy. Troy spun the bottle and it pointed towards Sharpay.

"Truth or dare?" Troy asked, hoping that she chose dare. Troy still had memories of the last dare he had to do. It involved Sharpay's closet, her make-up and the mall on a Wednesday when all the basketball team was on the prowl. I'll say no more.

"Dare." Sharpay said without a thought. Troy smiled and rubbed his hands together.

"Hmm lets see now. Sharpay Evans, loves fashion, hates food that make her fat…" Troy trailed off and smirked. Sharpay noticed the glint in his eyes and she opened her mouth to protest.

"No way Troy Bolton, no way!" She said. Troy looked at her evilly.

"I dare you to go and get the most unhealthiest junk food in this house and eat it." Troy said. Sharpay cursed him a few before standing up.

"No wait, Chad has to go with you to make sure that it's the most unhealthiest food ever!" Troy added. Sharpay scowled as Chad got up. Troy smiled as they waited for the two to return. Ten minutes later they came back with a truckload of food. Sharpay laid it all out on the floor next to her and took a deep breath. She took hold of the 60cm chocolate bar and began to eat it.

"I hope you're happy." Sharpay said to Troy.

"Happy as a clam" Troy responded. Sharpay took hold of the bottle and spun it around. It landed on Jason.

"TRUTH!" Jason blurted out before Sharpay even asked the question.

"Wimp…" Sharpay said as she took another bite of her chocolate. She ate the chocolate piece whilst thinking of a question.

"Oh I got one! Yesterday in chem. why did you ask me about what Chanel said to me?" Sharpay asked. Jason seemed to go all pale.

"Huh?" Jason tried to play the dumb card.

"Oh stop with the act and just tell me." Sharpay said as she finished the last of the chocolate.

"Well I noticed something strange about Chanel from the start…" Jason began to say. Everyone settled down to listen to his story.

"I mean when she first walked into homeroom she sent Gabi a very mean and unusual glare. Something you wouldn't give your best friend let alone your twin sister. And it started from there. Glares and stares, loving looks at Troy, looks of pure hatred at Gabi. I knew something was up." Jason explained. Everyone besides Kelsi looked at him in awe. Sharpay had dropped the bag of 'sensations' she was holding. Ryan was looking at Jason in a very confused manner. Zeke was trying to get Sharpay out of her shocked condition. Gabriella was going paler and paler every time Jason mentioned Chanel. Troy had a thoughtful expression on his face as he was taking everything in. Martha and Taylor had the same expressions as Sharpay. Chad was, well he was busy eating. Kelsi was just looking at her boyfriend proudly.

"So I decided to keep a profile on her. Every time I saw her I always looked to see what she was up to. Most of the time it involved looking over at us. Anyway the same Monday two weeks ago I heard Chanel on the phone to someone. I was just making my way to the cafeteria when I heard her talking. She was talking to a boy called, Dan I think?" Jason said looking at Gabriella.

"Y-Yeah her boyfriend. I mean ex." Gabriella told Jason.

"Yeah well from what I heard, they weren't on the safe scale anymore. She hung up and then she began to talk to herself. She goes, urm he doesn't have to know about Troy yeah and or my plans. Something like that. So I decided to find out what she meant. The following week she just did the same. In that week Shar got kicked out of the drama club and Chanel was made president. I thought that was a bit peculiar. So I wanted to ask you Shar. And then you said the eight to go stuff. She's planning to take us all down." Jason finished.

"The cow!" Martha said. The gang nodded.

"B-But what can we do?" Sharpay said as she regained her speaking ability.

"I knew it was her all along." Troy spoke quietly at first. The gang turned their heads to face him.

"In gym when Brie ran off I went to find her…" Troy began to say.

"Wait why did she run off?" Zeke asked.

"That doesn't matter. Anyway I bumped into someone and that someone looked exactly like Brie. The whole getup. Not that Brie has a getup but you know what I mean. Anyway I tell her I've been looking for her and she starts to flirt. Okay one Brie doesn't flirt, well not like that anyway. She walked up to me "seductively" and then went straight up and kissed me!" Troy announced.

"Well I knew it wasn't Brie right then and there. She wouldn't do that especially with the PDA rule. I figured it was Chanel so I pushed her off. I saw her streaks showing through and I was right. So why was she dressed up like Brie?" Troy finished. That left everyone wondering.

"Yeah and when I read the note on Taylor's suspension it said Miss Montez. Not Gabriella Montez. So it could have been Chanel." Jason said. The whole gang turned to face Gabriella.

"Well it weren't me. I would never do that to Tay-lor. Besides I was with Troy for the first half an hour of the lesson." Gabriella defended herself. Now everyone was looking at Taylor.

"Well…urm…I suppose I was wrong to go around accusing you of something that you couldn't have done. I'm s-sorry." Taylor hated apologising so it was a little bit hard for her. Chad patted her on the back and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Tay-Taylor, it was just a misunderstanding. I, well, I forgive you. Only if you let me call you Tay again." Gabriella said. Taylor looked up with teary eyes and smiled.

"Of course you can. I wouldn't have it any other way." Taylor said as she enveloped Gabriella in a hug. Everyone smiled as they watched the girls make up.

"So now all we have to do is bring down Chanel." Jason said. Everyone nodded.

"But how?" Kelsi asked.

"Yeah she's too clever for us!" Martha added. Just then Ryan put his hand up.

"Well there is one person she can't top. The queen of all things mean, previously known as the Ice Queen." Ryan finished with a smile. Everyone besides Gabriella looked at Sharpay. Gabriella finally caught on and turned her attention to the blonde who was busy stuffing her face. Sharpay was actually enjoying this big pig out. It had been yonks since she last ate some junk food. Sharpay smiled as she put another piece of chocolate in her mouth. Then she wondered why it was so quiet. She looked up to see her friends staring at her and smirking.

"What?" She asked with her mouth full.

"Ew Shar!" Chad said as he covered his eyes. "Even when I eat, I don't eat like that!" Chad said referring to the food that had gotten on Sharpay's clothes as well as her face.

"Can you blame me?" Sharpay said as she took another bite. "I mean I've gone all those years without eating junk food…" Sharpay stared into space as she spoke.

"Shar…you only started dieting 9 months ago. I should know, you tell me about it everyday." Ryan said, breaking Sharpay out of her trance.

"ANYWAY…what's all this about Sharpay being more devious and evil than Chanel?" Gabriella asked.

"Well before you came, and way before Shar's diet started, she had a bit of a mean streak." Martha began to say.

"A bit? More like a lot. Too much, could've taken over the world." Chad added as he stole a chocolate bar from Sharpay.

"As I was saying, Sharpay was the queen of mean, she had everyone under her little finger. If there was someone who took the lime light away from her then she would get it back." Martha finished.

"No matter what…" Kelsi added for extra affect. Gabriella nodded.

"Well you lot can throw that idea out of the window. Cause I ain't doing it." Sharpay said as she wiped her mouth with a tissue. Everyone stared at her.

"Well I'm siding with Shar on this one." Gabriella said. Everyone turned to face her.

"But Chanel will totally destroy us!" Chad exclaimed. Gabriella sighed.

"Listen I know you all mean well but dealing with Chanel doesn't mean having to be sneaky. You just have to use the logical way." Gabriella explained.

"Yeah I get what you're saying Gabi…" Taylor said.

"Mmhmm…just beat her at her own game. Fight back…" Sharpay said between bites.

"Yeah if she tries to ruin us then we just have to find a way to get everything back." Kelsi added.

"Starting with the drama studio. That place gives me the creeps nowadays." Martha said.

"Well then starting Monday, we'll get on it…" Jason said. Everyone nodded.

"So…who wants to watch a movie?" Ryan asked. Everyone nodded as they moved over to where the TV was located. Zeke and Sharpay occupied the couch. Chad and Taylor were on the floor in front of them. Ryan was sat on a beanbag next to Martha. Kelsi and Jason were also sat on the floor. Troy and Gabriella were seated on the same beanbag.

"Those two should get together quickly." Sharpay whispered in Zeke's ear. Zeke nodded in agreement.

"Yo Troy, could ya get some snacks, I mean Shar just about finished everything." Zeke said Sharpay looked somewhat offended but then caught on.

"Yeah, and take Gabi with you, there's a lot of food." She added. Troy nodded and the pair stood up. they walked out and Zeke and Sharpay smiled at each other.

"I bet they'll be holding hands once they come back." Zeke murmured.

**In the kitchen…**

The pair made their way into the kitchen and Troy switched the lights on. Gabriella was amazed at the sight.

"Wow this kitchen is well wow…" Gabriella said as she followed Troy. Troy nodded.

"Yeah well my mom would love something like this. So would Celina I suppose. What with the big dinner she made when we first met." Troy said as he opened the huge fridge. Gabriella sighed.

"Yeah I suppose so." She said. Troy took out two big bottles of coke.

"That food was just delicious." Troy said. Gabriella smiled.

"Thanks." She said. Troy gave her a weird look before searching for the popcorn.

"What I meant to say was that they should be thankful that you liked it and-" Gabriella began to ramble.

"You cooked that dinner…didn't you?" Troy asked, although he made it out to be a statement rather than a question.

"Well yeah…" Gabriella admitted as she began to raid the cupboards.

"Well then it was definitely delicious." Troy grinned as he found the popcorn. Gabriella giggled a little.

"That cake was hard work though." She said. Troy stopped.

"Celina made you make that cake? On your own? And then she took the credit for it? Wow she is messed up." Troy commented. Gabriella smiled a little.

"She must be messed up but she has taken care of me." She said. Troy gave her a look.

"Oh you mean with all the bruises she's given you? Wow she's really caring." Troy said sarcastically. Gabriella turned to face him.

"Troy, those bruises are just the down side. I should be grateful that she hasn't chucked me out! She's given me a home, all the things I want…" Gabriella said and it was all true. No matter how much Celina hit her, she always got Gabriella whatever she wanted. It was like she was Dr Jekyll and Hyde.

"I don't think that hurting you every night is very giving…" Troy said quietly. But it was said loud enough for Gabriella to hear.

"Listen to me now Troy, you don't know anything okay! You're just a witness okay, I've felt it, I've been through it and I know what to be grateful for and what to be ungrateful for!" Gabriella cried out.

**Upstairs…**

They were watching the movie in peace and could hear faint voices in the background.

"Who's that?" Sharpay said as she took her head off her pillow.

"Mom and Dad are out, it can't be them…" Ryan added as he got up and walked over to the door. Zeke pressed the pause button on the remote and stood up. One by one they huddled up by the door.

"…You don't know anything okay…" They heard as Ryan opened the door a little.

"Gabi…" Taylor whispered.

"…Seen it happen…" They heard another voice.

"Troy…" Chad added. Sharpay stood up straight.

"Well we should give them some privacy you know…" She suggested. Everyone looked at her in confusion.

"Are you serious?" Kelsi asked. Sharpay sighed and put her ear to the door again.

**Downstairs…**

"I've seen it happen, I think I know how grateful you should be!" Troy yelled back. The two were so into the argument that they didn't care who was listening.

"She's my mother Troy!" Gabriella shouted. After that there was a few moments of silence.

"No she's not okay. I heard it all. I know what happened. She was never you mother." Troy said in a deep, calm voice.

"Well you know what I wouldn't know okay. My real mother committed suicide and then my Dad went and got remarried. He wanted us to have a mother figure okay! And no matter how bad she is, she still is my m-mother…" Gabriella broke off. Troy looked up and sighed.

"Brie I'm sorry…" He began to say. Gabriella put her hand up.

"No you're not, and you have every right not to be. Let's just leave it at that." Gabriella said as she gathered her bits of food and carried them upstairs.

**Upstairs…**

Everyone backed away from the door. They ran over to the couch and quickly sat in their correct places. Zeke pressed play just as Gabriella walked in. Everyone looked as if they were paying attention to the movie, when in fact they were looking at Gabriella. She grabbed a pillow and placed it on the floor. Then she sat on it. Gabriella felt the tears in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. _'No more tears, no more crying'_, she thought. She had been crying for quite some time now. From the first time Celina hit her…

_10-year-old Gabriella ran into the room with Chanel running after her._

"_I'll get you Gabi!" Chanel cried as she chased her twin around the room. They were currently acting out one of the scenes they put together. Gabriella and Chanel loved singing and acting. They usually put on plays for their parents. _

"_Never!" Gabriella said as she ran around the dining table. She laughed as Chanel tried to run after her in her pointy little heels._

"_You'll never catch me in those things Chan…" Gabriella cried as she looked back at her sister._

"_Gabi look out!!" Chanel cried as her sister collided with the small, round table that held a very precious item. Gabriella fell to the ground with a thump. Chanel ran over to her sister and turned her around._

"_Gabi you okay?" She asked with concern._

"_Yeah I'm fine…" Gabriella said as she regained the ability to speak. Chanel sighed and then gasped. Gabriella turned her head slightly and sighed. She had ruined Celina's vase. It was worth a lot and Celina would most definitely kill her. Then Julio and Celina ran into the room._

"_My vase!" Celina yelled._

"_Ella!" Julio cried as he ran past the vase and picked up his daughter. "Are you okay Ella?" He asked as he looked for any bruises._

"_Yeah Daddy I'm fine…" Gabriella said as she looked over at Celina._

"_Oh honey, I'm sorry." Julio said as he got up. He placed Gabriella on her feet and walked over to Celina. "I'll get a bag to put the pieces in." He said as he gave Celina a peck on the cheek. As soon as Julio exited the room Celina looked over at Gabriella._

"_You stupid little kid!" Celina said as she took a few steps towards Gabriella. The little girl stepped back with a scared look on her face. Celina held up her hand and slapped Gabriella across the face. Gabriella ran out of the room crying. Chanel looked at Celina and then ran after her sister. Celina calmed herself down and went to pick up the pieces. That was the first day Gabriella was hit and was definitely not the last._

Gabriella remembered crying a lot that night. After that the tears kept on rolling. But it was time for them to stop. Gabriella put on a brave face as she lifted her head up and looked at the TV screen.

**Downstairs…**

Troy kicked the draws in frustration.

"Damnit!" He cursed as he picked up his share of the food. He had just gone and done the one thing he didn't want to do. Make Gabriella upset. Troy cursed himself as he travelled up the stairs. He opened the door a little and looked in. Gabriella had moved places. Troy sighed as he entered the room. He sat down on his bean bag and tried not to look at Gabriella. Sharpay sighed and moved her mouth so it was next to Zeke's ear.

"I guess my prediction was wrong." She whispered.

"You think?" Zeke whispered back. Sharpay sighed as she moved back to her previous position. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Well there you go! Anyway review please!**

**Until next time**

**peace xx **


	10. Help From A Child

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and read this story...so here's another chapter..**

* * *

Gabriella stepped out of Troy's car. 

"Thanks…" She mumbled as she closed the door. Troy was about to say something but decided not to. He stepped out of the car himself and gave her a small nod before walking towards his house. Gabriella sighed as she trudged over to her own home. She opened the door and walked inside.

"Hey Ella…" Gabriella looked up to see her father standing at the bottom of the staircase.

"Dad…?" She said in a confused tone.

"Did you urm have a good time?" Julio asked his daughter. He couldn't help but notice the sadness on her face.

"Yeah it was okay." Gabriella mumbled. The true fact was that she was shocked. Her father rarely acknowledged her and now he was calling her Ella again.

"Julio that girl…" Gabriella turned her head to find Celina walk into the hallway. "Ah, Gabriella…" Celina said with a smirk on her face. "I've got a lot of work for you." She said as she handed Gabriella a list.

"Sorry Celina, but I'm going to go job-hunting today. I won't have time for any chores." Gabriella said with full confidence. She watched as Celina's expression changed.

"Listen here Gabriella, when I tell you to do something you do it!" Celina pointed an angry finger at the girl in front of her. Gabriella just rolled her eyes. She snatched the paper of chores off Celina and scanned the list.

"Well I can do the dishes and vacuum before I go. But that's all." Gabriella said as she handed the list back. Celina looked at her in confusion.

"That's all? I don't think so. You are going to do ALL the chores on the list." Celina said. Gabriella sighed.

"No can do, I have to find a job. God knows when you'll kick me out…" Gabriella muttered the last part under her breath. Celina sighed and thought for a moment. She looked over at Julio.

"I think we should go with what Ella is saying. I mean at least she's compromising." Julio said with a shrug. Gabriella smiled at her father and then looked at Celina.

"Fine." Her stepmother said through gritted teeth.

"Okay then!" Gabriella said cheerfully as she ran up the stairs. As soon as she was out of sight Celina turned to face her husband.

"What was that?" She asked. Julio looked at her with an innocent expression.

"What was what?" He asked as he got off the last step.

"That! 'At least she's compromising'" Celina mimicked his voice. Julio sighed.

"I think that we should go easy on her Ce. She's a growing girl now and she's seventeen. I mean when she's eighteen she'll be gone! So we should try at get along with her for at least a couple of months." Julio explained.

"Fine." Celina said again as she walked out of the hallway. Julio just smiled and went to sit in the living room. Celina took out some pots and pans and began to try and make something to eat. She hadn't done this in years. She sighed as she looked for a recipe book. She was looking in the cupboards just as Gabriella walked in.

"Gabriella have you seen the cookery books?" Celina asked. She really didn't want to stoop this low but she had to ask. Gabriella pointed to one of the drawers.

"I organised them all so urm recipes for dinners and starters should be at the front." Gabriella said as she put on the washing up gloves. She picked up the dishes-that were left there from breakfast-and began to wash them. As she washed she began to hum. Gabriella closed her eyes and thought of the lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she was small. She began to hum the tune.

"Can you stop that?" Celina cried from where she was standing. Gabriella sighed and stopped.

"It's only a little tune, nothing to be afraid of." Gabriella said as she took another plate. Celina rolled her eyes as she flipped through the book.

"You know, I wrote some recipes down myself. You know for when I leave and urm there's no one to cook the food I make." Gabriella said as she took a glass. Celina was slightly confused. Why would Gabriella do that? It wasn't as if they did anything to help her.

"Urm thanks…" Celina said as she began to cook.

"No problem." Gabriella replied as she rinsed the plates. For once Celina and Gabriella got along. They stayed in the same room for a long amount of time without creating an argument. Julio smiled as he sat in the living room in peace. This was going to be a good day.

**The Bolton Household…**

Troy was sat on his bed thinking about the night before. _Last night was ridiculous_, he thought. He had lost his best friend over something silly, like her family. Troy stood up and looked around his room. It was a mess. Lucille had expected him to clean it but to be honest Troy wasn't in the cleaning mood today. He sighed as he began to pick up shirts that were placed all over the room. He put them all in the hamper that was located in a corner of his room. He heard a knock on the door.

"Come in…" He said. The door opened and Jen popped her head inside.

"Hey cuz." She said as she walked into the room. Troy grunted in response.

"Well hello to you too." She said as she sat on his bed. Troy didn't respond and carried on cleaning.

"What's wrong?" Jen asked. Troy sighed; he knew she was going to ask that question some time soon. Whenever Troy was upset, Jen always knew. It was like she was some kind of psychic. Every time he was in a bad mood, she turned up at the front door.

"How do you know something's wrong?" Troy asked. Jen rolled her eyes he always asked that question.

"Troy I do advise you to think of better questions. I've told you every single time you've asked. I always know when you're in a bad mood because you don't try to chuck me out. Usually it's like 'get out!' so I know when something is wrong. That means you can cross the psychic thing off your list." Troy smiled a little at this comment.

"Yeah, yeah whatever…" Troy said as he picked up a couple of hangers off the floor.

"Anyway, Aunt Lucy said that we could go see the kids down at the care home today!" Jen announced. A huge grin was spread across Troy's face.

"Cool!" He said. He put away the hangers and began to put on his trainers. Troy loved the care home; it was full of cute and interesting kids. Whenever Troy went down there he forgot about every single problem. All he cared about was the kids. Troy grabbed his jacket and began to walk out of the room.

"Wait Troy…" Jen said. Troy looked back at her and she was still sat on his bed.

"What? Let's go Jen!" Troy said as he walked back into his room.

"First you have to tell me what's wrong." Jen said. Troy sighed; he knew there was a catch. He sat down on the bed next to his cousin. He knew that she wouldn't move unless he told her, so it was better to take the easy route rather than the hard one.

"It's not that big of a deal I guess…" Troy began.

"Troy if it upsets you then it is a big deal." Jen said. Troy smiled.

"Well me and Brie had a fight, well an argument. It was really petty you know, just over small things. I could have stopped talking but no I had to carry on talking. God knows what came out of my mouth…!" Troy began to ramble. Jen sighed. She placed a hand over Troy's mouth.

"Okay let me get this straight. You had an argument with Gabriella. You said some things and now you're not talking to each other? Am I right?" Jen asked. Troy nodded.

"Listen Troy my advice to you is to forget it. Make up with her, you never know what could happen." Jen said as she took her hand away from his mouth. She looked down at the ground in sorrow. Troy let out a small sigh.

"You still miss him eh?" Troy said. Jen nodded quietly.

"I would if I was you. He was a good guy." Troy continued.

"It still hurts…" Jen said as Troy pulled her into a hug. It was at times like this when Troy felt the need to be thankful for what he had and who was there to share it with him.

"I think about him all the time…" Jen said as she sobbed silently. Troy nodded, not knowing how she felt. After all you don't know how a person feels when they lose someone they love. You only know when it happens to you. Trevor Jones was a great guy, he taught Troy most of his basketball tricks. He was also Jen's best friend and nearly boyfriend. The two had liked each other for a long time. Troy knew all about it, every time he would play basketball with Trevor all Trevor would do was talk about Jen and vice versa. In the end Troy got them to go out on a date, and it was that one date that ruined it all. Troy didn't blame himself that much because he knew he wasn't the one who called the guys to hijack the place. There were some hostages taken, well about to be taken, and Jen was one of them. Trevor being the saint he was tried to save all the people. In the end he got shot whilst trying to protect Jen. Jen never forgave herself for it, even though it wasn't her fault.

"We could have gone to get ice cream but no I just had to have the perfect date…it didn't turn out so perfect after all…" Jen said as she pulled herself together. Troy felt a pang of guilt; they could have just gone to get ice cream but no Troy just had to insist they go to that restaurant.

"Well he's in a better place, and we should go to a certain place as well. So let's go." Troy said as he stood up. Jen nodded in agreement.

"Urm well what I wanted to really say was tell her how you feel Troy, before it's too late." Jen said, this time it was Troy's turn to nod.

"Oh and if Chanel gets in the way then just tell me. I wanted to rip out her extensions anyway." Jen said normally.

"Said like a true cheerleader." Troy joked as he ran down the stairs. The two reached the ground floor and walked towards the front door.

"Have a good time. Say hi to the kids!" Troy heard his father say.

"Yeah sure Dad!" Troy replied. The two walked out of the house.

**The Montez household…**

Gabriella had finished doing the dishes and vacuuming around the house. She grabbed her purse and jacket from her room and ran down the stairs.

"Bye Ella!" Her Dad shouted from the living room.

"Bye…" Gabriella yelled back as she walked out of the house. She felt a bit weird when her father said that. It was as if he forgot all about what happened in the past and was acting like he did when she was 10. Gabriella shrugged off the thought as she skipped out of the front garden. She looked up to find Jen and Troy walking her way.

"Hey Gabi! My little dancer!" Jen shouted. Gabriella smiled at the brunette.

"Hey Jen, how are you doing?" Gabriella asked. She had tried out for the dance club and was guaranteed a place. Jen was the captain and Martha was co-captain so Gabriella had a 99 out of 100 chance to get in.

"Fine, fine. Where are you of to?" She asked. Gabriella sighed.

"Urm the bookstore, I wanted to look up some books oh and urm I need to find a job." Gabriella told her. Troy was just looking at Gabriella as the two girls talked. She was glowing and Troy wasn't joking. Her smile was bigger then ever and she spoke with complete confidence.

"Me and Troy are going down to the care home today. You wanna come?" Jen asked hopefully. Gabriella thought for a moment. She looked over at Troy who looked like he was going to explode if she didn't say yes.

"Yes, I'd like that." Gabriella replied. Jen smiled as she linked arms with Gabriella.

"Come on Troy!" Jen yelled as the two girls walked off. Troy sighed and ran after them. When he caught up he walked alongside Jen, he didn't want to pressure Gabriella or anything.

"So Gabi how do you like Albuquerque so far?" Jen asked. Gabriella thought for a moment.

"Well it is a lot quieter than San Francisco that's for sure. I just like the atmosphere…and the people…" She said. Jen smiled.

"Yup the people down here are pretty nice." She said. Gabriella nodded.

"So do you usually visit the care home?" Gabriella asked with curiosity. Troy hardly ever talked about the care home.

"Yup, at first I didn't go but then Troy here made me go and now I just can't get enough of it! It feels so great to just play with the kids and put those smiles on their faces." Jen explained. Gabriella nodded.

"And it's all thanks to Troy, before I was just a cheerleader, now I'm a cheerleader with a heart! No offence to any other cheerleaders obviously…" Jen rambled on, Gabriella just giggled. Troy was just walking along with them quietly, he knew Gabriella wasn't ready to talk to him and he didn't want to look desperate.

"Troy…TROY!" Troy snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Jen with a blank expression.

"What?" He asked her.

"I've been calling your name for at least a minute now. Honestly boys!" Jen said as she closed her eyes and sighed. Gabriella laughed as they walked up to a reasonably large house.

"Gabriella welcome to the care home." Jen said as she knocked on the door. Gabriella heard some shuffling and then a click. The door opened to reveal a very tired woman.

"Jen! Troy! So glad to see you!" She said stepping to a side. The three walked into the house and past the woman.

"Sue, have they tired you out again?" Jen asked. The woman, Sue, nodded her head.

"Uh-huh and I am so glad you could make it." Sue said as she led them into a room. Gabriella's eyes widened as she looked at the mess. There were papers, colours, and paint everywhere. There were also a lot of kids running around bouncing off the walls.

"Wow…" Gabriella said. Jen looked over at her and laughed.

"You'll get used to it. Sue I'd like to introduce you to Gabriella Montez." Jen said and Sue looked down at Gabriella.

"Hello there Gabriella." Sue said. Gabriella smiled at her.

"Sue! Adam took my hairspray and won't give it back. He said he needs it for some kind of experiment." Gabriella looked up to find a young girl walk into the room. The girl looked over at the three and smiled.

"Jen! Troy!" She cried as she ran over to hug the two. Jen smiled and hugged the girl back. Troy did the same as well. The girl let go of Troy and he placed an arm around her. Gabriella felt a hint of jealousy but dismissed it.

"Ana this is Gabriella." Jen introduced Ana to Gabriella. Ana looked at Gabriella and gave her a tight smile. Gabriella grinned back.

"Okay then, since you lot are here I can go down to the shops to get some stuff. Now I know I can trust you so please don't prove me wrong." Sue said as she ran out of the room, grabbed her coat and bag, and left the building.

"Okay then, Troy and Gabi, we have a lot of work to do. So Troy you start upstairs with Ana's problem, Gabi you start here and I will go to the kitchen and sort out the terrible mess there." Jen said as she left the room. Gabriella sighed and looked around there was a lot to do.

"Don't worry, it won't be too hard." She heard Troy say before he exited the room with Ana. Gabriella sighed; she didn't even know where to begin. She looked over in the corner and she found a little boy reading a book. She went up to him and crouched down beside him.

"Hey." She said. The little boy peered at her from the top of his book.

"Hello." He said in a quiet voice. Gabriella smiled at him.

"What's your name?" She asked. The little boy put down the book and looked at Gabriella with his glittering green eyes.

"Derek. Derek Walsh. What is your name?" Derek asked.

"Gabriella, Gabriella Montez." Gabriella stuck out her hand and Derek shook it.

"So Derek what are you reading?" She asked with interest. Derek looked surprised.

"Urm it's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows." Derek said. Gabriella raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Wow, I love Harry Potter, you have great taste." Gabriella said. Derek smiled at her and showed off his dimples.

"Thanks Gabriella." Derek said. Gabriella stood up.

"Please call me Gabi, only my step mother calls me Gabriella. So Derek care to help me out here?" Gabriella asked. She held out her hand and Derek took it.

**Upstairs With Troy…**

"…And I told him that I needed it but he wouldn't listen." Ana finished telling Troy what happened. She led Troy to Adam's room and he knocked on it.

"Who is it?" Troy heard Adam ask.

"Ahem, it's Troy." Troy said. Adam walked over to the door and opened it. He smiled when he saw his favourite basketball playing teen, then he frowned as he spotted Ana.

"What does she want?" He asked narrowing his eyes at Ana. She stuck out her tongue.

"Just give her back her hairspray." Troy said. Adam sighed and went to fetch Ana's hairspray. He chucked it at her and slammed his door. Ana smiled and took Troy into her room. She placed the hairspray back in its place.

"So Troy who exactly is Gabriella?" Ana asked out of curiosity.

"She's a friend." Troy said without any expression. Ana sighed.

"Yeah sure…" She said. Troy walked out of the room and went downstairs. He walked into the room that Gabriella was in and his jaw dropped.

"Wow, how did you get it so clean, so quickly?" He asked the brunette who was currently reading a story to the kids.

"Well I had a little bit of help." Gabriella said and smiled at Derek.

"AHH!" They heard a scream. The two looked at each other and both were thinking the same thing.

"Jen." They said at the same time. Troy ran off in the direction of the kitchen. Gabriella handed the book over to Derek and ran after Troy. The two entered the kitchen and found Jen sat in the middle covered in mess.

"Oh my God, Jen are you alright?" Gabriella asked as she looked at the mess. Troy held out his hand to help Jen up. Jen sighed and took it.

"Too much…" She said as Troy helped her up. Just then the doorbell rang.

"Brie-I mean Gabriella can you get that please?" Troy asked, Gabriella nodded feeling a bit sad that he didn't call her Brie. She sighed as she walked over to the front door. It wasn't really Troy's fault, both of them fought; each said a lot of things. Gabriella sighed again and opened the door to meet with some familiar green eyes.

"Hi." She said to the boy standing in front of her. Just then Derek ran towards the boy.

"Alex!" He cried as he hugged Alex. Gabriella looked at the two and smiled. She stepped to a side to let Alex in. Alex thanked her and stepped inside. He carried Derek as he walked into one of the rooms. Gabriella followed.

"I was wondering when you would show up." Derek said. He looked over at Gabriella.

"Oh Alex meet Gabi, she's my new friend. Gabi meet Alex my older brother." Derek introduced the two. Gabriella and Alex shook hands.

"Nice to meet you Alex. You're very lucky to have Derek as your brother." She said. Alex smiled.

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you. But we have to go, urm where's Sue?" Alex asked.

"Urm-she's gone out." Gabriella said. Alex smiled at her; Gabriella noticed that he had the same dimples as Derek.

"Well that means I have to wait for her then." Alex said as he sat down with his little brother.

"Urgh! Now I have to go home…oh hey Alex!" Jen said as she walked into the room. She was currently cleaning herself with a cloth.

"Hey Jen. What happened to you?" Alex asked with concern.

"Urm one word, kitchen." Jen said.

"Oh say no more." Alex said with full understanding. Jen laughed.

"Anyway Gabs I have to go home now to change, but Troy will take you home when he's done. Kay? Bye." Jen said and rushed. Gabriella was about to protest but Jen had already run out.

"Troy's here? Cool." Alex said as he stood up. Gabriella and Derek led Alex to the kitchen where they found Troy cleaning up the last bit of mess.

"Phew…oh hey Alex!" Troy said, he dried his hands and then shook Alex's hand.

"Troy my man, how have you been?" Alex asked.

"I've been better." Troy said looking at Gabriella, she looked away. Derek noticed this. The four walked back into the room with the rest of the kids.

**20 Minutes Later…**

Everyone was sat around the TV watching Shrek 2. Alex and Gabriella were seated next to each other. Derek was sat next to Alex and Troy was on the other side.

"Troy can you get some snacks?" Derek asked his older friend. Troy nodded and stood up. He walked out and then Derek turned to face Gabriella.

"Gabriella can you get me a drink?" He asked. Gabriella looked away from the TV and nodded. She stood up and walked out. Derek smiled to himself. Gabriella entered the kitchen and was surprised to find Troy putting together some snacks on a tray. She walked past him and opened the fridge. She took out a small bottle of juice. She turned on her heels and was about to walk out.

"Gabriella wait…" Troy said. Gabriella stopped. Should she stay or go? While Gabriella was having this battle in her head, Troy positioned himself in front of her. He waved his hand in front of her face and Gabriella snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at Troy standing in front of her and sighed. Running out of the room was not an option anymore.

"What do you want Troy?" Gabriella asked. She looked away from him, not wanting to look into his eyes. Troy noticed this.

"Gabriella look at me…Brie…" Once Troy said her nickname, Gabriella turned her head and looked up at him.

"What?" She asked as she looked at him.

"I'm sorry…" Troy said softly. Gabriella was going to hug him but decided against it. Sorry wasn't enough. Troy took note of this.

"I wasn't right to say those things. I was just mad I guess. I care about you a lot and it pains me to see you in any kind of trouble and that day I saw you was terrible…and I'm just totally and honestly sorry." Troy explained. Gabriella looked at him straight in the eyes. She could see the honesty just twinkling in there. Troy waited for a response from Gabriella but it seemed like he wasn't going to get any. Just then Gabriella flung her arms around him.

"I forgive you…" She said quietly as she hugged him. Troy smiled and hugged her back.

"It wasn't all your fault Troy, I guess I was just confused about where my loyalties were." Gabriella said as she pulled away from him.

"I don't get everything I want, just the material items. Celina thinks it's good to look more family like in front of other people. Sure I have a roof over my head but God knows when that'll be taken from me. Things like phones and laptops and stuff can't make up for years without the family love. The bruises are just a reminder of that, they hurt for a day and then fade away but the emotional pain stays I guess. And you were right, Celina is not my mother, she's just there to make me feel like I've got one. Like that really helps." Gabriella said. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes but refused to let them fall. She wasn't going to cry anymore.

"But today I made a choice and that was to stick up for myself. One thing you've taught me Troy is not to let people mess around with me. After all I will suffer the consequences not them. So I stuck up to Celina and only ended up doing two chores today and I even sat in the same room as her without getting beaten up!" Gabriella smiled as she told him. Troy smiled back glad to see that she was happy.

"Brie I am so proud of you and if they ever take that roof from above your head, you can come under mine." Troy said. Gabriella smiled and hugged him again.

"I missed you, it was only a day and I missed you! How sad is that?" Gabriella said. Troy laughed.

"Not that sad considering I missed you as well." He said, Gabriella smiled at him before picking up her drinks.

"Well I have to get these to Derek, he'll be wondering where I went." Gabriella said. Troy nodded but then shook his head.

"Derek? He told you to get him something? He told me to get him something as well." Troy said, Gabriella looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, something tells me that we were set up." She said, Troy laughed.

"Well I'm glad that we were." He said. He grabbed his tray full of food and followed Gabriella out. They laid the food in front of the kids and went to sit down. This time Troy and Gabriella were seated next to each other. Gabriella's head was rested on Troy's shoulder and he had an arm around her. Derek smiled as he saw the two.

* * *

**Thanks for readin n remember to revieww**

**Until next time **

**peace x**


	11. Not So Perfect

**Here we go another chapter! This one was quite difficult to write but i manged to do it. Anyway enjoy!**

* * *

The weekend had flew by quickly and Gabriella was now standing in front of her mirror, getting ready for school. She was dressed in a grey ruched turtleneck top with a pair of skinny jeans. She wore her black Mary Jane's on her feet. Her hair was not tied up but was flowing free showing off her colour and curls. She took off her glasses and put in her new contact lenses. She had bought clear contacts because she didn't want to look like Chanel. Gabriella had applied some mascara, eyeliner and a tad of eye shadow. She was now applying a thin layer of lip-gloss on her plumped up lips. Gabriella placed her make up back on her dressing table and looked at her reflection. She looked like a whole new person. Gabriella smiled and grabbed her Jane Norman bag on her way out of her room.

**Opposite Gabriella's Room…**

Chanel was sitting in her own bedroom going over what she planned on doing today. Her phone began to ring and she stood up to go answer it.

"Hello." She spoke.

"Hey Chan." Chanel felt like hanging up but she couldn't.

"Hey Dan…" She spoke quietly. Dan had been ringing her for quite some time now. But every single time she saw his number appear on the screen she just dismissed it and didn't answer. This time Dan called from a private number.

"So how long are you planning to ignore me?" He put it simply and blatantly. Chanel felt a lump in her throat; she knew he was going to ask something like that.

"Who said I was ignoring you?" She said with a little bit of bravery. Dan scoffed.

"I did. Every time I call you, you never pick up. But now I'm calling you from a private number you just happen to pick up. If that's not called ignoring someone then I don't know what it is." He explained. Chanel closed her eyes this was not going good.

"Sorry Dan, but I must have not heard the phone ring, or I mustn't have had my phone with me." Chanel came up with a lame excuse.

"That's just bull an you know it." Dan replied. Chanel sighed.

"Dan what do you want?" She asked him.

"I just wanted to see how my girl was getting on." Dan answered. That comment got to her. Chanel frowned.

"Dan I'm not your girl anymore." She said.

"Well between the 'I love you's' and the kisses that you left me with, I'm pretty sure that we're still an item." Dan said. What he said was 100 true but not the last part. Dan knew that they were as good as over but he just wanted to see what Chanel would make out of it. He needed to know whether he was just a mere boy toy for her all these years.

"Listen Dan we are not an item! All those love you's were just in the heat of the moment okay. We were finished once I stepped into the San Francisco airport okay!" Chanel yelled at him. Dan smirked.

"I knew that." He said calmly.

"W-What?" Chanel asked.

"I just wanted to figure out whether you took me seriously all these years." Dan said. Chanel sighed.

"Oh Dan…" She began to say but she was cut off.

"Don't." Dan said and with those last few words he hung up. Chanel groaned in frustration and chucked her phone onto her bed. She sighed and walked over to her closet. She pulled out a black slinky one-shoulder top and a black puffball mini skirt. She got dressed and then chose some knee length boots to cover her feet. Chanel was in the mood to ruin someone and she knew exactly who that person was.

**In The Kitchen…**

Gabriella was sat on a stool munching on her cereal. She had come downstairs and was greeted by Celina and some nice, warm breakfast. Gabriella felt a little suspicious of her stepmother's behaviour but just dismissed it. It wasn't everyday that she got treated like a normal person in her house. Celina watched as Gabriella enjoyed the comfort she was getting. She was about to scowl but then dismissed it. Chanel waltzed into the room and stared at Gabriella.

"Mom she's sitting in MY seat, eating MY breakfast." Chanel cried as she watched her sister sitting and munching away happily. Celina groaned quietly and then went to talk to Chanel.

"Honey she's nearly done, then you can sit there and eat your breakfast." Celina said quietly. In reality she wanted to grab Gabriella from her hair and force her off the stool. But Julio was sitting in the same room. Chanel glared at Gabriella.

"It doesn't matter I'll just get something to go." She said as she went to look in the fridge. Gabriella smirked and stood up.

"No you don't have to do that, I've finished anyway." She said as she cleared the table and placed her dishes in the sink. Chanel shot her a fake smile.

"I've lost my appetite." She said. Gabriella shrugged and grabbed her bag.

"Goodbye all!" She said as she gave her father a kiss on his cheek. Julio smiled at her. Chanel did the same and walked out of the house at the same time as Gabriella. Troy was waiting outside for his best friend to come out. He saw two girls walk out. One was obviously Chanel, due to her clothes. The other was surprisingly Gabriella. Troy's mouth fell open as he watched her walk over. Gabriella smiled and took Troy's arm. They began to make their way to school. Chanel trailed after them and scowled as Gabriella and Troy laughed together. They were just best friends, she kept reminding herself. But even she could see the attraction between the two.

**East High Drama Studio…**

Sharpay walked into the theatre with full confidence. She stood in front of Ms Darbus and opened her mouth.

"I want to be the president of the drama club again." She told her drama frenzy teacher. Ms Darbus eyed the blonde girl.

"And what makes you think that I will let you run for that position again?" Ms Darbus asked her. Sharpay smiled, she knew that Ms Darbus would ask this question.

"Well for one I'll make sure that the theatre doesn't look exactly like another theatre." Sharpay said. Ms Darbus raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" She asked curiously. Sharpay looked at her nails.

"I know that you like the theatre to look unique but at the moment it's lacking uniqueness. It's saying 'boredom'. I know for a fact that there is another theatre exactly like this." Sharpay said. Ms Darbus put a hand to her heart. Sharpay knew she struck a nerve. Ms Darbus didn't like her theatre to look the same as others. When she first arrived at East High she spent weeks making it look more Darbus like.

"This theatre looks like, well it just looks like a normal boring theatre. But if you put up the position for president of the drama club again then maybe I can convert it back to its glittery, flowery glory." Sharpay said. Ms Darbus smirked.

"I'll see what I can do." She said as she walked away. Sharpay watched her walk off before punching the air.

"Yes!" She yelled in victory. Sharpay walked back out of the theatre and went to find her friends. The only person she found was Martha.

"Hey Shar!" Martha called out to her rich friend. Sharpay looked over and smiled.

"Hey Martha, guess what?" She said smiling.

"What?" Martha asked.

"I went to Ms Darbus and she might consider putting up the position for President of the drama club again." Sharpay announced. Martha smiled at how happy Sharpay was.

"That's great!" She cried. Sharpay nodded excitedly.

"So where are you going?" She asked Martha.

"Oh dance studio. The leading lady wanted to have a word with me." Martha said. _That doesn't sound too good_, Sharpay thought. Every time they had to talk to a teacher they ended up upset and angry.

"I'll come with you." Sharpay said. Martha nodded and the two walked over to the dance studio.

**In The Principal's Office…**

"…And so you see sir, there is no way I could have cheated. It's impossible." Taylor finished her speech. Mr Mtsaui looked at the African-American teen for a few moments. Taylor waited with patience, but inside she was screaming, wanting to know what his answer was. For the last half an hour she had been explaining the reason's why she shouldn't be chucked off the Scholastic Decathlon team. He had just been sitting there taking every word in. Chad was waiting impatiently on the other side of the door. Every now and again he put his ear to the door and listened to what they were saying. He was as eager as Taylor to hear their principal's decision.

"Miss McKessie your presentation was very organised and it has made me see that maybe the information I received was wrong." Mr Mtsaui began to say. Taylor looked at him with an eager expression waiting for him to carry on.

"So I have decided to let you back on the team…but…if I hear or see anymore evidence saying that you're cheating then I will take you off the team for good." He announced. Taylor had to stop herself from jumping up and down.

"Thank you so much sir. I won't disappoint you." Taylor said as she gathered her belongings and left his office. She greeted Chad with a grin on her face and he knew instantly that the presentation was a success. He picked her up and twirled her around. The two walked out of the office with smiles spread on their faces. Today was a good day.

**At Lockers 374 and 375…**

Gabriella placed some books in her locker and then took some papers out; she placed them in her bag and then closed her locker. Troy was standing next to her looking in his own locker. He chucked his bag in and then slammed the locker door. He looked over at Gabriella and smiled. They began to walk towards their homeroom. As Gabriella walked she felt like everyone was staring at them. She looked down and sighed, it wasn't joint hands this time. Troy leant down and whispered in her ear.

"You might not know this but all the guys of East High have their eyes on you at the moment." He said before looking around. Gabriella looked up and saw that Troy was right. Every guy was looking at her. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she moved closer to Troy. Troy just grinned at this action.

"I called her first!" He heard someone call out. Troy's head whipped around to see who it was. The football captain, Jake, walked up to the pair.

"Hey baby, want to go on a ride with Jakey?" He asked as if it was only Gabriella standing in the hallway. Gabriella looked at him and nearly puked. He was so not her type. Her type was…well…it was Troy but no one needed to know that.

"I-um…" She began to say. She glanced over at Troy and gave him a look that said _HELP!_ Troy nodded.

"Oi Jake, get away from her." Troy said. Jake sighed and looked over at his rival.

"What do you want basket boy?" He said and grinned as if he had made the funniest joke ever. Troy remained serious.

"I want you to stay away from my girl." Troy said glaring at the football captain. Jake smirked.

"She ent your girl Bolton." He spat. Troy raised an eyebrow and looked over at Gabriella.

"Brie, are you my girlfriend?" He asked the brunette. He gave her a look and she nodded.

"Yes, yes I am." She said with full confidence. She walked over to her best friend and wrapped an arm around his waist. Jake looked at her in awe.

"Back off pretty boy." Troy said as he walked off with his "girlfriend". When they turned the corner they burst out laughing.

"Now that was hilarious!" Troy said. Gabriella nodded.

"Did you see his face when I said yes!" She said. They laughed it off for a while before walking to their homeroom. They met Chad and Taylor on the way.

"Hey guys." Gabriella said. She linked arms with Taylor as they walked into the classroom.

"Gab I'm back on the team!" Taylor announced. Gabriella smiled and hugged her genius friend. They went to their normal places and found a very teary Martha. Gabriella sat in her seat next to her dancing friend.

"What's wrong M?" She asked. Martha refused to look at her.

"She got kicked out of the dance club." Sharpay added. Gabriella gasped.

"Oh my God that's really bad. I'm sorry M." Gabriella placed an arm around Martha.

"Don't worry G, it's only dance." Martha said quietly. Gabriella shook her head.

"No it isn't only dance M. You love dance and you know what I'm going to ask Mrs-I –Think-I'm-The-Best-Dancer-In-The-World why the hell she chucked you out." Gabriella informed Martha. Martha smiled slightly.

"Thanks G." Martha said. Gabriella just smiled and sat back in her seat. Ms Darbus entered the room and stood in front of the class.

"Morning all." She began. Everyone exchanged glances, Ms Darbus never greeted them the first thing she normally did when entering the room was tell Chad off.

"Chad please put away your basketball. This isn't a basketball court." She said. Everyone gasped, something was wrong. Jason put his hand up.

"Yes Jason?" She asked. Everyone turned around to look at him.

"Is something wrong Ms?" Jason asked. Ms Darbus shook her head.

"No I'm perfectly fine Jason." She answered. Jason nodded but didn't quite believe her.

"Okay so I have an announcement to make. Whoever is part of the drama club will have to vote on which person they want as the president. I have chosen two potential candidates and they are Miss Sharpay Evans and Miss Chanel Montez." Ms Darbus announced. The drama club nodded and the gang smiled. Chanel on the other hand was not pleased, not pleased at all.

**15 Minutes Later…**

The gang walked out of homeroom with smiles on their faces.

"Did you see her face Shar? She was horrified!" Ryan exclaimed. Sharpay smiled at her brother.

"Yeah, you really got her back Shar." Kelsi spoke up. Sharpay just grinned and walked along with her friends. The people in the drama club were getting sick of Chanel anyway so Sharpay was favourite to win. Zeke hugged his girlfriend from the back and she smiled even more.

"My life is so perfect at the moment." Sharpay said as she leaned up to kiss Zeke.

"Oi Barbie girl!" Sharpay stopped kissing Zeke and looked to see who was shouting. She didn't think they were talking to her so she just shrugged and held onto her boyfriend.

"I'm talking to you Blondie!" This time Sharpay knew it was her. She looked to see Chanel standing in front of her.

"Oh what do you want Montez number deux." Sharpay asked.

"I want you to know that this isn't over yet." Chanel sneered. Sharpay just scoffed.

"Just get over your pathetic little self. This was over the minute Ms Darbus announced that you were no longer president of the drama club. Oh and that I have a shot at it." Sharpay said sweetly. Chanel rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, like anyone will vote for you. Wait just your gay brother and that mousy little friend of yours." Chanel said. Sharpay glared at her. The students in the hallway stepped to a side, not wanting to get in her way. Even Ryan and Kelsi backed off. Zeke remained next to her knowing that someone had to control her.

"My brother is NOT gay and even if he is it just means that there's another guy that'll reject you! Kelsi is the best composer I've ever seen and you're just miffed that she'd rather write songs for Gabs then write songs for the likes of YOU!" She yelled. Chanel took a step back.

"You know what…" She said, trying to think of something.

"I know that you should get out of my sight before I go ballistic on you" Sharpay cried as she glared at Chanel. Chanel glared back, but only for a few seconds. She stepped back and then walked off. Sharpay smirked.

"Still got it in me." She said. Zeke smiled and took her hand.

"C'mon 'Ice Princess' we've got English. This time don't get Jason to do your dirty work for you." Zeke winked at her. Sharpay laughed. He was referring to the time she made Jason chuck a paper with her number on it to Zeke.

"I'll try." She answered. The couple just walked to their class. They went inside and everyone was already there including Jason.

"May I ask why you're late?" Miss Shirley asked the pair. Zeke looked at Sharpay.

"We had to-" He began to say.

"-Handle some really, really annoying business." Sharpay finished off for him. She put the emphasis on really.

"Well next time try to handle this annoying business in your own time, not mine. Detention after school, 20 minutes." Miss Shirley handed them some papers and they sat down. Sharpay looked down at the paper and sighed. It was a mock exam. Sharpay put her hand up.

"Urm Miss Shirley you didn't tell us that we were going to have a mock exam." Sharpay told her teacher. Miss Shirley sighed.

"Miss Evans, you shall find that I did. The day you and Mr Baylor decided to pass notes via Mr Cross." Miss Shirley said. Sharpay nodded and tried to hide her smile.

"Okay class, get out your pens and no pink ones Miss Evans." She said glancing at Sharpay. The blonde girl sighed and put away her pen.

"In that case I don't have a pen." Sharpay said and folded her arms. Miss Shirley sighed.

"Mr Baylor would you be so kind to give your fair lady a black or blue pen." She turned to face Zeke. Zeke grunted and looked in his bag. He found a pen and tossed it over to Sharpay who gave him a quick smile and caught the pen.

"Okay moving on, this test will be for the whole period – well what's left of it – and you will answer all the questions. The text is on your desk and everyone start. Mr Cross put your hand down, pick up the pen and get to work." Miss Shirley said without even looking at Jason. Jason sighed and put his hand down. The class laughed a little before settling down and getting to work.

**Gym…**

"…That's why Coach Bolton is not present today." The substitute teacher, Mr Ross, finished his long lasting lecture. He looked around the class, half of the people were falling asleep, and half were looking around bored out of their minds.

"Urm sir can we actually do something?" Jen asked. She hated physical education but it was way better than listening to an unattractive guy go on about her uncle and why he was not present. She knew all of that.

"Yes we can Miss Cooley." Mr Ross said. The whole class waited for him to carry on but he just stood there as if he was expecting someone else to speak up.

"Why don't we just chill out and relax?" Another girl called out. Everyone looked to see who it was. Jen smiled as she spotted her friend and fellow cheerleader, Britney Allen.

"Yeah …sure…that would be nice." Mr Ross said as he just walked off in another direction. Everyone exchanged glances before laughing.

"What a doofus." Britney said.

"Yeah did you see the look on his face?" Rick, a guy on the basketball team, made the same face as Mr Ross. Gabriella giggled at his impression.

"He's cute ain't he Gab?" Taylor asked her friend. Gabriella looked over at Rick. He had brown hair, that wasn't as nice as Troy's because it was darker. Rick' hair was gelled up in spikes whereas Troy's hair was a little messed, leaving a part of it to fall over his eyes. Gabriella shook the thoughts out of her head and concentrated on what Taylor was saying.

"He's got gorgeous eyes." Taylor said, smiling at her friend. Gabriella had noticed his blue eyes but they weren't as intense as Troy's.

"Troy's are more blue." She found herself saying. Gabriella gasped and put her hand over her mouth.

"Oh I heard that!" Taylor said with a grin. "I knew you liked Troy." She continued. Gabriella sighed, if Taylor had figured it out then there was no point in denying it right?

"Fine you win, I do like him." Gabriella admitted. She looked over at Troy who was playing basketball.

"You should do something about it." Taylor said as she followed Gabriella's gaze. But Taylor's eyes settled on her own boyfriend. She watched Chad jump up and down as he scored a basket.

"I can't ruin our friendship Tay, plus I want him to make the first move. That's if he really likes me." Gabriella said. Taylor just laughed at her friend.

"Gabriella, Mrs Janis is calling you." Gabriella looked up to see Keely shouting for her. Gabriella nodded and ran out of the gym. She walked with Keely to the dance studio.

"She said it's really important." Keely said as they walked. Gabriella nodded.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you a question. Where did you learn to dance?" Keely asked. Gabriella smiled.

"My mother taught me, she was a brilliant dancer, one of the best. She used to teach me odd steps and I even put together my own routine when I was small. But then when she…di-passed away I kind of learnt everything form the video's I had of her and stuff." Gabriella said. Keely looked at her in confusion.

"I thought your mother was alive? I mean I hear Chanel saying, 'my mother this and my mother that'." Keely said.

"Well my mom passed away and my dad got remarried a few years later." Gabriella said. Keely gave her a small smile. They reached the dance studio and Keely stopped.

"Aren't you coming?" Gabriella asked her blonde friend. Keely shook her head and walked off. Gabriella shrugged and entered the dance studio. She found Mrs Janis sitting in a yoga position on a yoga mat.

"Mrs Janis…?" Gabriella spoke. Mrs Janis opened her eyes and looked at Gabriella. She gave her a wide smile. Mrs Janis was an excellent dancer, she competed in all the competitions and nearly won but one of her rivals 'accidentally' injured her. Now she taught girls how to dance. She was quite young and married. She had straight, sleek blonde hair that was always tied up in a bun and on odd days she had it up in a ponytail. She had light blue eyes that were surrounded by dark, smoky make up. She had plump lips that were always glossy. Mrs Janis was an excellent dancer, she had a flexible body and could adapt to any kind of dance.

"Ah Gabriella." She spoke in her French accent. She patted the mat next to her and Gabriella sat down.

"You look very pretty today." She commented.

"Thank you." Gabriella said.

"Zo you have come to see what I have to zay to you…no?" She asked. Gabriella looked at her and thought before replying.

"Yes…?" She said. Mrs Janis nodded.

"Well I have to zay zat you are a very good dancer. Probably ze best ve have had in years, zo I 'ave decided to let you play ze lead dancer in our next showcase. You are happy with zis…no?" Mrs Janis said. Gabriella nodded excitedly. She had always dreamed off leading the dance in a showcase and now her dream was going to come true.

"Okay I see zat you are happy, now go." Mrs Janis said as she resumed her yoga position. Gabriella stood up and began to walk out. But then she remembered something and looked back at Mrs Janis.

"Mrs Janis, why did you kick Martha out?" Gabriella asked.

"Too much hip-hop, no passion." Mrs Janis said. Gabriella gasped.

"Martha is very passionate about dancing. She dances everyday and she is very versatile." Gabriella explained.

"No she is not! You are versatile, she is just like a record player stuck on one track." Mrs Janis said. Gabriella was about to protest but then remembered that this could just make things even worse. Gabriella just backed away and walked out.

**Lunch…**

"So hasn't she done anything weird lately?" Kelsi asked her boyfriend.

"No she's quietened down for a while I guess. But I'm still going to kill her for insulting you this morning. The nerve…" Jason said as he glared at Chanel who was sitting a few tables away from them.

"Jase, she only called me little. I'm okay with that because, you know, I am quite little." Kelsi said. Jason smiled at her.

"No you're petite, it sounds better." He said. Kelsi giggled and smacked him playfully. Ryan was sitting with Sharpay opposite the couple.

"…She was just so mad for the rest of Biology. Plus it was hilarious when she dropped the dead frog and Andy stood up and stuffed it down her top." Ryan smiled at the memory. Sharpay burst out laughing.

"I think I've started to like that guy." Sharpay said. Ryan just laughed at his sister's words.

"So Kels did the witch say anything to you?" Sharpay asked. Kelsi shook her head.

"No I was with Martha in Math and she was in Chem. So she couldn't say anything." Kelsi explained.

"Good 'cause if she did say anything to you then I would be more than happy to put her in her place." Sharpay said. Kelsi nodded and looked down at her paper. She was working on a new piece of music. She planned on getting Troy and Gabriella to test it out for her. But she was going to record their performance and show Ms Darbus. The only other person who knew about this was Jason. The doors of the cafeteria opened and Zeke, Chad and Taylor walked in.

"…He did not! It was a good pass and…" Chad was saying.

"And it made you score the winning basket…yes we know Chad." Taylor said with a bored face. She had been listening to the guys talk about basketball for a very long time.

"It was a good one at that." Chad said as he draped an arm around Taylor's shoulders. They sat down around the table and began to eat their lunches. Zeke sat next to Sharpay and took out a bag of his homemade cupcakes.

"Yum!" Chad said as he swiped one. Taylor rolled her eyes and refused to take one when Zeke offered them.

"No thanks Zeke. I'm watching what I eat." Taylor said. Zeke shook his head and took one out for Sharpay.

"Cheers Zeke." Sharpay said as she took it from his hands. It was covered in pink frosting, Taylor looked at the cupcake in disgust as she watched Sharpay devour it.

"Hey guys." Everyone looked up to greet Troy, Gabriella, Martha and Jen. The four sat down, completing the circle of friends.

"So guys, I was thinking we could all go down to the care home sometime. I mean Sue said she could use the help and so did Aunt Lucy." Jen said.

"That sounds great Jen." Ryan said. Jen flashed him a smile.

"So that'll be next Friday after school." Jen told them, they nodded and made a note of the date. Gabriella searched her mind to see if she was free.

"Urm I can't come." She said. Jen looked at her, waiting for an explanation.

"I have a thing to do…" She said. Jen raised one of her eyebrows.

"Okay! I have to practise for the showcase with Mrs Janis." Gabriella admitted.

"Well you could have just said that the first time." Jen said as she rolled her eyes and got back to eating her lunch. Gabriella glanced at Martha who was now as quiet as mouse.

"Urm, M, I asked Mrs Janis why she kicked you out." Gabriella began to say. Martha looked up instantly.

"She began making excuses, she said that you only danced to hip hop and didn't put enough passion into your dancing. I fought back with, you are very versatile and you put a lot of passion into your dancing. But she wouldn't listen to me. I'm sorry M." Gabriella apologised, she felt horrible.

"No it's okay. I think I can handle the fact that you're better than me." Martha said. Gabriella sighed.

"I'm not better than you M. you just have your style of dance and I have mine. We're each good in our own way." Gabriella said.

"Apparently you're better. Seeing as she put you in the showcase and not me." Martha added sulkily. Gabriella just stopped talking. She put her head down and finished what was left of her cookie.

"Anyways, is everyone else still up for the care home visit?" Jen asked. The gang, minus Gabriella, nodded their heads. Jen smiled at them all.

"Oh by the way Gabs, I love your new style." Sharpay said. Gabriella looked up and smiled.

"Well I thought that it was time for a change." She said as she looked down at her new clothes. "Although I still think I've overdone it." She said.

"No you haven't, it looks great, right guys?" Sharpay said.

"Yeah Gab, you look like a whole different person." Taylor said.

"Yeah I have to say that grey doesn't suit many people, but in your case it's working." Jen commented. Gabriella thanked the girls.

"I think you look a lot like Chanel." Martha said. Gabriella looked up at her friend in awe.

"No you don't Brie." Troy said, noticing the look on Gabriella's face. Gabriella looked at Troy and gave him a small smile. Kelsi shot a look at Martha. Sharpay kicked her underneath the table and Taylor was shaking her head in disappointment.

"What can't I-" Martha was cut off by Jen.

"So where is your stupid sister anyway?" Jen asked.

"Well she's sitting a few tables away and she's not stupid Jen. If she was stupid then she couldn't have done the things she did to you lot." Gabriella said, Jen just nodded. Just then Chanel walked up behind her sister.

"Did Mrs Janis tell you the good news then?" Chanel said whilst smirking. Gabriella turned around to face her sister.

"What are you taking about?" Gabriella asked.

"Well Mrs Janis was going to give Martha the lead but somehow she got convinced into giving you the lead instead." Chanel said whilst blowing on her nails.

"So you're the reason M got kicked off!" Gabriella said standing up.

"Oops I didn't mean for that to happen…yeah right." Chanel said, her smirk getting bigger and bigger.

"Brie leave it. She's just trying to get to you." Troy said. He took Gabriella's handed and made her sit down. Chanel gave her twin a glare.

"So now you have the showcase and Troy. Wow that is so unfair." Chanel said. Gabriella glared at her sister.

"We're just friends okay." She responded.

"Just friends? Oh but this morning you said that you were going out. Wow wait till Jake hears about this. He'll be over the moon. Then you can go out with him and leave Troy alone." Chanel said. This time Troy stood up.

"Yeah we are just friends but that doesn't mean I'm going to let Jake get his hands on her. And another thing, I won't leave Brie for shit." Troy said. Gabriella looked up at her best friend, he never swore, not once. Only when something had really ticked him off, she was guessing that something was Chanel.

"Okay that's it!" Jen said standing up. "I've had just about enough of you Chanel." Jen announced.

"You come to East High thinking that you can take over. Well I think not! Everyone here has their own free will and we encourage them to use it. Each and every single one of you pathetic plans have backfired. Sharpay is defo the president of the drama club again. Taylor is back on the Scholastic Decathlon team. Martha is no doubt going to return to the dance club. And Gabriella, well she'd exceeding in all areas. Troy is still by her side and there is nothing you can do to change that. You need to get a life missy and I suggest you get one pronto!" Jen exclaimed. Chanel just stared at her.

"I don't know who YOU think you are telling me what I can or cannot do. My life is great you know. I'm just messing you lot up for the fun of it. Do you think I care about my sister and her little friends! No! Maybe I used to give a damn about her when she was small and I didn't know any better. But now I'd rather see her dead!" Chanel cried. Gabriella gasped, hurt by her sister's words.

"Shut up Chanel and just get lost!" Troy yelled at her.

"You know what Chanel, you've had your fun and games, now just get lost because we aren't going to take any of your crap anymore." Taylor said getting out of her seat.

"Yeah just go grab a life and stop trying to ruin someone else's." Chad said standing by his girl.

"You've made Gabi cry a lot and she's had to endure a lot of pain because of you! Do you think that's right? Do you think that you're doing something noble by causing your own sister pain! Do you think your mom will be proud of you? Doing stuff like this to your sister! I think she'd turn over in her grave if she knew that you were doing these things." Troy was the last to speak. After that no one spoke. Gabriella had no expression on her face. Chanel was near to tears. The atmosphere was tense.

"You didn't have to mention my mother." Chanel said in a low, cold voice. A teardrop rolled down her face. She turned away and walked out.

"She's right Troy, you didn't have to mention her." Gabriella said, she turned and ran after her sister.

"BRIE!" Troy shouted as he ran after Gabriella.

"Maybe today isn't so perfect." Taylor said as she sat down at the table.

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**Ooo! Wow that was quite eventful lol. Anyway reviews are welcome and thanks to those who review and have reviewed in the past.**

**Until next time!**

**peace x **


	12. Mixed Emotions

**Okay so this chapter took ages to write but i completed it! It's a bit short but it has plenty of drama in it**

**So i hope you all enjoy and review!!! **

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Gabriella's pumps hit the floor as she ran after her sister. She looked around the hallway and only spotted the white lockers hooked to each wall. Gabriella stopped and looked at her face in the window. The small amount of mascara she had on was now streaming down her face, leaving light black lines as her tears fell. Gabriella was surprised that she was still crying. She wiped away her tears with the back of her arm, not caring that it would leave a mark on her new top. Gabriella walked slowly and looked around the corner. She was currently in the English block, usually there would be kids everywhere but now Gabriella was the only one there. She heard some light sniffles and followed the sound. She turned to find her sister sitting on the last step of the staircase leading up to the teacher's lounge. Chanel's blonde and brown hair was now tied back so that she was able to get it out of her face. Her mascara was running down her face and she wore even more make up than Gabriella so her face looked worse. Gabriella had never seen her sister look so vulnerable. Chanel was looking down in sadness and despair. Gabriella could really relate to that

"Chan…" Gabriella said softly as she stepped towards her sister. Chanel looked up at her twin through teary eyes. She smiled weakly; it had been years since Gabriella had called her Chan.

"Hey Gabi…" She said through sniffles. Gabriella smiled back; it had been years since Chanel had called her Gabi.

"Sorry about that." Gabriella said pointing back as if the cafeteria was right behind her. Chanel sighed and patted the step she was sitting on.

"I guess I had it coming." She said as she wiped away her tears. Gabriella took Chanel's offer and sat down next to her.

"No you didn't." Gabriella lied. Chanel looked at her and scoffed.

"Yeah you would say that, you're too nice for your own good." Chanel said. Gabriella smiled sweetly just to add to Chanel's comment. Chanel laughed a little.

"Sorry about Troy as well. He's just a little protective I guess." Gabriella apologised again, this time on Troy's behalf. Chanel rolled her eyes.

"Well a little too caring for my liking." Chanel said. Gabriella's smile faltered a little at the addition of 'for my liking' but she just dismissed it.

"I can't do anything about that. Troy cares for whomever he chooses to care for." Gabriella said thinking that this sentence would end the subject. Boy was she wrong.

"In this case its you." Chanel said bitterly. She didn't even know why she was acting so bitter. Chanel was a little happy that she was having a normal conversation with Gabriella. But her Celina gene kicked in and Chanel was once again the bad sister.

"I'm his best friend Chan…he's bound to care about me." Gabriella said and sighed. "Please can we drop the subject?" She asked. Chanel nodded; she didn't want to talk about Troy either. The thought of him caring for Gabriella instead of her made Chanel somewhat angry.

"Still, he shouldn't have said those things about mom." Chanel said as she looked at the ground. Gabriella looked away as well. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes again.

"Yeah well no one can control Troy when he's on a rant. Believe me, I've tried." She added. Chanel smiled a little. "I'll talk to him and get him to say sorry. Trust me he'll apologise straight away." Gabriella said lightly. Chanel frowned.

"No it's okay. If he wants to apologise he should do it himself. I don't want anyone probing and bothering him to do it." Chanel denied Gabriella's offer. Gabriella sighed but her smile never left her face. She wasn't going to ruin this moment. It was something she had been waiting for years. Gabriella had missed her sister and now was her chance to get her back.

**Troy…**

"Brie!" Troy called out for his best friend. He had been following her but then she disappeared. Troy sighed as he stopped to take two. He hadn't meant to say those things about Chanel and their mother even if they were true. Troy began to walk again.

"BRIE!" He yelled. He was in the Math hallway and was making his way to the English block. He wondered what Gabriella was going to say to Chanel. What can she say? Troy thought that Gabriella was wasting her time, running after Chanel. Troy knew that Chanel would only turn her back on Gabriella…yet again. After pulling all those stunts in the past, she can't have turned over a new leaf in a couple of minutes. Plus she had said that she wanted Gabriella to die. That was the comment that got to Troy. Two sisters that had been so close in their childhood where now so far apart. Troy had seen Gabriella's numerous pictures of the two dressed up like one another, having a good time. He thought that Gabriella wished that that time would come again. Troy opened the doors to the English block and walked in. He was really worried about his best friend. Troy had learnt to care for Gabriella…a lot, and he was starting to think that there was more than friendship between them. But he didn't want to say something just in case Gabriella didn't feel the same way. Part of Troy told him that she did but the other part of him said to look for more signs. Troy was just torn in between the two. He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard laughter. He looked a little confused and followed the laughter. As he got closer he recognised the laughter. It was Gabriella and no doubt Chanel. But they were laughing! Troy crept up behind a pillar and listened in to what was happening.

"…Yeah and then Mum let you down and I got to go…" He heard Gabriella say.

"You always were her favourite Gabi." He heard Chanel reply. _Gabi?_ Troy thought _since when did they go to nicknames? _He questioned.

"Well I guess I took an interest in her dancing and you took an interest in her closet." Gabriella said cheerfully. Troy smiled, she sounded really happy. Even if he didn't like Chanel he was still grateful that she made Gabriella happy, even if it only lasted for a while. Troy hated thinking negative thoughts but he couldn't help it. Something about this was a little bit dodgy.

"…And I loved those big heels!" He heard Chanel exclaim as he went back to ear wigging. Troy rolled his eyes at her comment.

"Well whilst you were walking around in her heels, she taught me how to dance in them." Gabriella said dreamily as she recalled those memories.

"You were good. Not great like her but good. Now I can honestly say that you are just like her. That's partly the reason I made Madame Janis give you the lead." Chanel admitted. Troy was surprised Chanel had done something…nice?

"Wow Chan that was nice and all but M was really upset." Gabriella said sadly.

"Well M needs to get over it. You're better than her and she needs to face the music." Chanel replied, there was not a hint of sympathy in her voice. This just reminded Troy how much he hated her.

"Music is her life Chan, she loves dance! I can't take that away from her." Gabriella shot back. Troy sighed. This was it…they were going to have an argument. Just like he thought they would.

"Listen Gabi I was looking out for you and you love dance. So should I choose some fat lard over my own blood? No don't think so." Chanel said bitterly. Gabriella gasped. Troy could feel her anger flowing around the space around him. This was definitely not good.

**Back In The Cafeteria…**

Taylor picked at what was left of her food. She looked around the cafeteria. Things had gotten back to normal a few minutes after the Montez twins and Troy ran out. The tension was now limited to one table. Taylor sighed as she thought back to what was said a few minutes ago. None of it was right; all of it was just said with anger and bitterness. Taylor didn't really say much except for how she wanted Chanel to get lost and that they weren't going to take any of her crap anymore and it was true. Ever since Chanel and Gabriella arrived at East High things had gotten a little, well a lot, crazy. Taylor felt as if it would have been better if the sisters didn't come but she wasn't going to admit that out aloud was she? Gabriella is like her best friend they act as sisters. Taylor didn't want to do anything to upset her, since she had been through so much already. Everyone guessed by Troy's words that Gabriella's mother wasn't her mother, and they all felt sorry for the twins. But losing their mother didn't justify Chanel's actions. Taylor just wanted Chanel to get over the fact that East High accepted Gabriella as a person of her own and not just the second twin.

Sharpay twisted a lock of her blonde hair around her finger. She did this when she was upset or nervous. Now it was because she was upset, family issues always upset her. When she was small she had to go through the loss of her grandmother and Sharpay was very attached to her. She had cried for days after her grandmother left the world, but as they say everyone moves on. Sharpay did the same; she moved on and came across Taylor. The two girls were joined by the hip in kindergarten. They did everything together. Then Taylor lost her Dad and Sharpay felt exactly like she did when she lost her grandmother. For a child that was too much to handle but now she handled it better. But finding out that Gabriella had lost her mother had a little affect on the blonde. She imagined losing her own mother and nearly cried at the thought. This made Sharpay see the situation from Chanel's eyes. After all Sharpay was the school's Ice Princess so who better than her to imagine the insecurity another feels?

Chad looked at his mates all lost in their own thoughts. Taylor was picking at her food. Sharpay was twirling her hair and so on. He looked down at his tray full on food and pushed it away. This wasn't normal for Chad. He could eat for the whole of the USA but he decided that today wasn't the day to stuff himself. Chad isn't and wasn't ever a sensitive boy. He always kept his thoughts to himself and never revealed any evidence that he actually had feelings. So you could say Chad was sort of a macho man. One who hated admitting his feelings. But at the moment everyone could tell that he wasn't in a good mood. Chanel had just insulted one of his friends and ruined another on of his mate's dreams. He looked over at Martha who seemed to be fine listening to her iPod. Chad sighed at looked at his tray again. He shrugged and grabbed the plate of food and began to eat.

Martha glanced at Chad stuffing his face and rolled her eyes. He was always a pig. Martha looked at her iPod screen and smiled as one of her favourite tracks came on. Britney Spears – Gimme More, Martha sighed as she remembered the dance routine she had come up with for this specific dance. She wanted the lead in the show so badly and thinking about how Gabriella got it instead of herself made her rethink about her choice to dance professionally. Martha had always dreamed of being a dancer but her mother always protested. She knew all the hardships that came along with it but Martha just had to ignore her mother after all that it what teenagers do. Martha chose another song and relaxed, maybe Gabriella getting the lead was a good thing, just maybe.

**Back In The English Block…**

"…so you decided to take the fate of others in your own hands? Who the hell do you think you are?" Gabriella screamed at her sister. Chanel glared at her.

"I can do whatever the hell I want to whoever the hell I want. You are not my mother!" She yelled back. Gabriella's face fell but just for a second.

"You know what, Troy was right. Everything he said was right!" Gabriella said. Chanel crossed her arms and looked at her twin.

"Don't bring Troy into this. He's just an innocent bystander caught in your spell." Chanel commented. Gabriella made a face.

"Spell? Chanel do you even hear yourself? I have not got Troy under some kind of spell. We are JUST friends! What part of that don't you people get? You go around making wrong assumptions and then spread them around like wildfire. No one around here cares for another person's feelings. They just care about the fact that they have some gossip. Just put yourself in my shoes Chanel! How do you think I feel?" Gabriella questioned. Chanel bit her lip before answering.

"I don't care." She said simply. Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"I think that you can come up with a better response than that. I think you do care, but you're just doing this out of insecurity and Celina's influence." Gabriella stated her opinion. Chanel scoffed.

""You think this has something to do with Celina? Yeah right. This is all about you and me and how we differ. You were and are the worst thing that ever happened to me! When we were babies you always got the attention. When we were toddlers you were always the one everyone loved and cuddled. When we were kids Dad used to take you out. When we were at the age of nine Mom used to pay more attention to you. It was at the age of 12 when I realised that with Celina I have a shot at being the angel and not the nobody! Gabriella you got what you deserved. All those beatings were just your just deserts. You're just useless and no one wants you! Even Dad is being nice to you just so that you can get out quickly! So don't go thinking that you're any special." Chanel said calmly. She looked over at Gabriella and smirked. Gabriella looked torn, as if her whole world had fallen apart.

"Is that what you think of me? As something useless? Just a waste of space?" Gabriella said quietly. She looked at Chanel and saw a hint of guilt in her eyes.

"I thought so." She said as she turned on her heels and walked away slowly. She didn't want to turn around, she just wanted to go far, far away. Chanel stood with her arms crossed, staring at the retreating back of her twin sister.

"Sorry." She whispered quietly so only she would be able to hear. She turned around and walked away looking pretty upset herself.

**Troy…**

Troy watched as Gabriella walked away. He frowned and then looked over at Chanel. his frown turned into a scowl. He went after the second Montez. He crept up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Wha?" Chanel said as she turned around. Her face softened a little as she spotted Troy.

"Hey Troy." She said hopefully, thinking that he was here to apologise to her.

"Don't say hey to me Chanel. What you said back there was completely inconsiderate. You hurt her bad." Troy said. Chanel went pale.

"You-you heard t-that?" She said weakly. Troy nodded. Chanel gulped. "Well I was just…urm…" She didn't know how to rationalize her words.

"Just cut the crap Chanel. Stay away from her." Troy said sternly before he walked away.

"One day you'll come to me Troy! Just wait!" Chanel yelled after him. Troy shook his head.

"Never!" He yelled back as he went to locate Gabriella. It wasn't too hard seeing how slow she was walking. As Troy neared the brown-eyed beauty he realised that she was on the phone.

"…Hey Dan." Gabriella spoke. Dan smiled on the other end.

"Gabriella!" He said cheerfully.

"How did you know it was me?" Gabriella asked.

"Well your voice is a little more welcoming that Chanel's. So how are you?" Dan asked. Gabriella sighed.

"Just okay…I guess." She said quietly. Dan noticed this.

"What's wrong?" He asked quickly. Gabriella smiled a little, unaware that Troy was listening in.

"I just have some minor problems." She replied.

"Hmm like what? Tell brother Dan everything!" He said. This made Gabriella giggle. Troy smiled, whoever this Dan boy was he was very good at cheering Gabriella up.

"Well Chanel is being a cow and I'm having boy issues." Gabriella admitted. Dan waited for her to go on.

"I'm not going into the Chanel issue but I'll talk about the second one." Gabriella said. Troy smiled a little. This should be good.

"So who is he and where can I find him?" Dan asked.

"Why would you want to find him?" Gabriella asked.

"So I can batter him up if he ever upsets you." Dan said in a toneless voice. Gabriella giggled.

"Well too late he's already done that." Gabriella said. Troy scowled, whoever this boy was, he would surely kill him. " But we made up again. It was really cute and we had the help of a small child." Gabriella explained. Troy's heart missed a beat. A small child? Could she be…?

"Describe him." Dan said. " So I can approve of him for you."

"Well he has the most amazing blue eyes, I always get lost in them." Gabriella began. Troy noted that his eyes were blue but he never thought of them as amazing. " He has brown hair and a little bit stays over his right eye and when he flicks it back he looks so cute!" Gabriella exclaimed. Troy's hand touched the part of his hair that rested over his right eye.

"Gabriella just give me a name. I don't want you to go into girly details." Dan said. Gabriella smiled.

"His name is…" She said. Troy waited with eagerness. "Troy." She finished. Troy thought that he had died and got to heaven. Or maybe he was dreaming. He pinched himself to make sure.

"OW!" He yelled as he fell off his current seat. He watched as Gabriella turned around and looked at him in fright.

"Troy!" She yelled. She ran up to him forgetting about the phone and Dan. She knelt down beside him.

"Are you okay?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.

"Is it true?" Troy asked dismissing his fall.

"Is what true?" Gabriella asked.

"That you like me…" Troy said. Gabriella looked at him; she didn't even know what to say.

**Back In The Cafeteria…**

The bell rang signalling the end of lunchtime. Sharpay and Taylor were off to Physics, Martha and Zeke had home economics and the rest had a free period.

"See ya Tay." Chad hugged his girlfriend as she walked away with Sharpay. The five left over walked around the site. Jen spotted her other friends hanging around.

"I'll see you guys later." She shouted as she walked off. The four waved goodbye and carried on walking.

"I wonder what Gabi and Troy are up to now." Kelsi wondered as she walked hand in hand with Jason.

"I dunno…" Chad replied. They sighed and carried on walking. Half way through they saw Chanel. She was walking on her own and she looked a lot happier than when she ran out of the cafeteria. She spotted them and walked over.

"Hello losers." She 'greeted' them. Kelsi rolled her eyes.

"Go away Chanel. You're not wanted here." She said simply. Chanel acted as if she was hurt.

"Ouch Nielson that hurt. Yeah right, what could a midget like you do to someone like me?" Chanel laughed. Jason's fists curled up into balls.

"Listen Montez…" He spat. " If you were a guy I would kick your ass but you're a girl so all I can say is get the hell out of my face." Jason glared at her. Chanel backed of and smirked before walking away. Kelsi placed her hand on Jason's arm and he relaxed.

"Thanks." She said as she leaned up to give him a kiss. Chad and Ryan looked away.

"That was really chivalrous but please save the thank yous for later!" Ryan said to the couple.

"Boys you wanna go shoot some hoops? Doesn't look like Troy will be joining us." Chad asked. The two boys nodded and looked at Kelsi.

"I'll come and watch." She said and followed them to the gym.

**Troy and Gabriella…**

Gabriella stared at Troy unable to speak.

"Brie? Brie?" Troy said waving his hand in front of her face. Gabriella broke out of her trance and looked down. Troy took a hold of her chin by his hand and lifted her head up so she was looking in his eyes.

"So…?" He said waiting for her to carry on. Gabriella sighed and closed her eyes.

"Yes, it's true." She said. Gabriella waited for Troy's response but she didn't get one. Instead she felt his lips crash onto hers. Gabriella smiled as she melted into the kiss. A few minutes later Troy broke the kiss and smiled. Gabriella caught her breath and smiled back at Troy.

"So I guess that's a yes." He said. Gabriella nodded. "Well then I guess it's safe to say that I like you too." Troy said.

"I never would have guessed." Gabriella said sarcastically. Troy glared at her playfully and she just smacked him lightly on the arm.

"Brie! That wasn't very nice!" Troy said as he rubbed his arm. Gabriella giggled and took his hand away from his arm. She leant down and kissed the are that she smacked him.

"Better?" She asked. Troy smiled and nodded. The two got off the floor and spent the rest of their free period together.

**In Front Of Gabriella's House…**

Gabriella looked at her house. She didn't want to go in. Troy took notice of this.

"Brie…it's okay you don't have to go in now. You can come with me." Troy said. Gabriella shook her head.

"No Troy I have to go in. I mean I'm going to have to face them sooner nor later." She said. Troy nodded and leant down to kiss her.

"You do know this means you're my new girlfriend." Troy said with a grin. Gabriella smiled.

"Yeah and I like it." She said before walking up to her front door. She put her key in the lock and turned around to look at Troy once more before stepping into her house. Gabriella looked around. There was no one there. She shrugged and made her way into the kitchen. As soon as she entered the room she felt a thud on her head. Gabriella fell to the floor immediately. She stayed down for a few seconds and then slowly began to stand. She looked to see who or what had hit her but all she could make out was a tall figure. Gabriella stood up and saw another figure but she was hit before she could make any guesses who it was. Gabriella fell to the floor again, this time drifting off into a world of darkness.

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**Ooo! Drama, drama, drama and there's more to come so don't think it's over yet!**

**Until next time**

**peace xx **


	13. Not Alone

**Sorry that this is a little late but i can't help it! i have way too much work and so you lot have to be patient with me now lol**

**Nevertheless i wrote the best i could and decided to up the drama!**

**Revvieww!**

* * *

Troy opened the door and looked out at the rain. It was Tuesday evening and time for their traditional late night shopping. Even if the weather was horrendous the Bolton family stuck to their tradition. Troy sighed as he watched his mother step out of the car and open her umbrella. He looked over at his Dad who was trying to sort his hair out. At this Troy smiled a little. He heard a small beep and then took out his phone.  
**Heard from Gabi yet? – Chad**  
Troy sighed.  
**Nope I got no reply – Troy**

He switched his phone off and rested his head against his seat. School was out for the day because the storm – that had occurred earlier – had done some damage to the school's power system. So school was closed. Troy hadn't had the chance to go see the rest of the gang since Jen came round and wanted Troy to help her and Sue at the care home. Troy had tried ringing Gabriella but there was no answer.

"C'mon Troy." Lucille called out to her son. Troy snapped out of his thoughts and pulled his hood over his head as he stepped out of the car. Jack locked the car doors and they made their way over to the supermarket. First stop on their late night shopping list was always the supermarket. Troy wanted to stash up on all his junk food and Lucille always had new ingredients to buy. So it was a resourceful first stop. The automatic doors opened and they stepped into the store. It was fairly big, the size of two supermarkets really. But as they say it isn't quantity but quality. Troy grinned as he waved at all the people he knew. Local customers, workers, the lot.

"Troy!" A voice called out. Troy turned around and came face to face with a familiar person.

"Hey Cath…" Troy said. Catherine Reynolds worked at the store. She had flaming red hair that was leathered and fell down to her shoulders. She had soft green eyes that twinkled when she laughed. Her plump lips formed a smile as she looked at him. Tuesday was always her favourite day to work. Three guesses why.

"So… are you free this weekend?" Cath asked with a hopeful look on her face. Troy sighed, she had been sending signals his way for a long time now and he had even considered making a move. That is until Gabriella entered his life, now he had to tell Cath straight up that he – Toy Matthew Bolton – was taken.

"Sorry Cath but I'm not free then." He replied. Troy watched as her face fell.

"Okay then. Well maybe you can make it up to me on Friday night? Dinner and a movie?" She said looking at him seductively. Troy groaned, not another girl with a need to act seductive. He had enough of that from Chanel.

"Cath I have a girlfriend so I doubt I'll be free." He said. Cath sighed.

"Well my loss, no wait, your loss." She corrected herself. Cath gave him a wink before strutting down the closest isle. Troy rolled his eyes and went to catch up with his parents. They were in the cookery supplies section. Jack was reading something on the back of a box and Lucille was loading a whole lot of boxes onto the trolley.

"So did she ask you then?" Jack asked without looking up from the box.

"Yeah but I rejected her." Troy replied. Lucille looked up and smiled.

"That's my boy. Never one to dilly dally." She said. Troy smiled at her choice of words.

"Yup that just sums me up." Troy said.

"So has Gabriella called back?" Lucille asked. She knew about Gabriella and Troy in fact both Lucille and Jack knew. Troy smiled as he remembered their faces when he told them.

_Troy stepped into his house and smiled. He took a deep breath and walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. There he found his mother, cleaning up._

"_Hello mother dearest isn't it a wonderful, wonderful day!" Troy said after kissing her on the cheek. Lucille looked at her son and raised an eyebrow. He had a very giddy look on his face._

"_Troy have you been hanging around with McGrath and his crew again?" Lucille asked. The last time Troy acted like this was when he got pressured into doing drugs with some bad boys. _

"_No mother, now I have a new drug." Troy said happily as he danced around the room. Lucille put down her cloth and took Troy by the arm. She dragged him over to the living room. Jack was seated on one of the couches reading a magazine._

"_Jack, your son is apparently doing some new drugs." She said as she Pushed Troy towards Jack._

"_Dad, great to see you, did you know that the sky is even bluer today?" Troy questioned. Jack looked at Troy and then at Lucille._

"_What is the boy going on about?" He said as he put his magazine away. Lucille shrugged. Troy stood up and laughed._

"_Mother, Dad I'm on a safe drug!" He said. Lucille raised an eyebrow._

"_And that is…?" Lucille waited for an answer._

"_Love!" Troy yelled and through his arms in the air. Jack snorted. _

"_The boy is definitely high on something." He commented._

"_Troy, what do you mean love?" Lucille asked her son._

"_Mother I mean love is my new drug, my safe drug unless Brie breaks it off with me…" Troy's sentence trailed off as he began to think of Gabriella. Lucille looked confused for a moment but then her expression changed._

"_Oh my God! Troy that's wonderful, I always knew it would work out between you." Lucille said as she hugged Troy. He smiled and welcomed his mother's hug with open arms. Jack looked at the two._

"_What in the world are you on about?" He asked the pair. Lucille and Troy looked at each other and laughed. They sat down on either side of Jack._

"_Okay honey, who was the first girl I thought that Troy really liked?" Lucille asked._

""_Gabriella." Jack answered._

"_Okay then Dad who am I best friends with and care the most about?" Troy asked the next question._

"_Gabriella." Jack answered again. Lucille and Troy looked at him. Jack frowned and then smiled. "Oh! You two got together!" He yelled. Troy smiled._

"_An the penny drops." He quoted. That earned him a smack from his father but then a pat on the back for doing something right._

Troy felt like laughing now that he recalled the scene. But he was really happy about how things were going for him. Obviously he was a tad worried. School on Monday hadn't exactly been good and God knows what Chanel had said to Celina. Troy knew he couldn't trust either of them but then again he couldn't really do anything to stop them. If he called the police, they would be arrested but Gabriella wouldn't like that. If he told his parents they would end up calling the police and so on. So Troy had no choice but to sit back and watch whatever happens next. All he ever wondered was how Gabriella lived through it all. Between the beatings and the insulting, Gabriella had handled it all well, but Troy knew that she was hurting a lot on the inside.

"Troy? You okay?" Lucille asked. Troy snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. Even though he really wasn't okay.

**The Montez Household…**

Gabriella lay face down on the floor. Her hair was sprawled all over the place; on her face was a large bruise that had formed overnight. Gabriella stirred and her eyes opened a little. Since she spent the night on the kitchen floor, she didn't have time to take off her make up. So her make up had smudged and was now all over her face. Gabriella sighed as she turned over. She put her hand to her head and felt the bruise.

"Ow…" She groaned as she tried to get up. Her body felt like it was going to drop any second. Gabriella felt as if she was going to go into a coma any second. She opened her eyes fully and scanned the room. There was no one there but her. So who was there last night? And why had they hit her? She questioned herself. Then her head began to hurt so she decided to leave the thinking for later. She tired to sit up and that only resulted in her hand hurting even more. Gabriella took a deep breath and grasped a chair nearby; she lifted herself up and hauled herself onto the chair. She sighed as she folded her arms and set them on the table. What was happening? She thought. Just then she heard some shuffling and running.

"…Up…let's go…she goes…" She heard as the footsteps neared. Gabriella looked to see who it was and then sighed as she saw her two least favourite people in the world enter the room.

"So I take it was you who decided to let me sleep on the _comfortable_kitchen floor for the night." Gabriella said without looking back at the pair.

"Yeah it was us." A voice, exactly like hers, replied.

"And you gave me this bruise as well?" She said and turned around to show them her bruise. Gabriella's stepmother smirked as she admired her work. Chanel on the other hand looked a bit guilty. But she didn't let it show too much.

"So Gabriella, ready to go for another round?" Celina asked as she neared Gabriella's chair.

"Don't. Even. Think. About. It." Gabriella said, getting up.

"Don't you even dare talk to me like that." Celina said, she slapped Gabriella around the face. Gabriella's face went angry red.

"Is that all you can do? Wait, that's all you ever do! Ever since I broke your stupid vase you've been slapping me like crazy! Then you decide to go full out and make me feel like I have to reason to live! Why the hell do you do this to me? I never did anything to you!" Gabriella screamed. Celina's eyes were filled with rage as she slapped Gabriella again.

"You deserve what you get! You're one of the reason's why I had to sacrifice everything! You're the reason why I lost the man I loved – and still love - to another woman!" Celina screamed and punched Gabriella in the gut. Gabriella fell back.

"What are you talking about?" She asked once she regained her breathing.

"Chanel was a darling ever since I came back into Julio's life. She accepted me! But you, you hated me from the start. You blocked me out and carried on acting like your stupid mother! She was a useless woman, and you just reminded me of her every single day! She was the reason Julio and me split up! And you're the reason why Chanel isn't getting who she wants!" Celina screamed. Gabriella just watched in horror as Celina jumped at her. Chanel just stood back, guilty of the scene in front of her, but happy with the lesson being taught.

**The McKessie Household…**

"Thanks mom." Taylor thanked Rosa, her mother, and then walked upstairs with her tray. She walked into her room and looked over at the bushy-haired boy who was currently lying on her bed.

"Chad…food." Taylor said, Chad sat up and smiled.

"Yum, the famous Rosa McKessie brownies, oh and milk!" Chad said as he grabbed a brownie off the tray. Taylor giggled, Chad loved her mother's brownies, heck every one did. Taylor sat down next to Chad on her bed.

"So did Troy text back?" She asked. Chad stopped eating for a moment.

"Well he said he got no reply from Gabs and then after that he didn't text back." Chad told Taylor. Taylor nodded in return. Chad munched on his brownie and then looked over at Taylor. She had a very sad look on her face.

"Hey Tay…" Chad said putting his brownie on the side. "Cheer up it'll be okay." He said as he leaned in to kiss her. Taylor just smiled into the kiss and the two stayed like that until Taylor's bedroom door opened.

"Tay!" Taylor broke away from Chad and looked around.

"Nika, don't enter without knocking!" She said to her older sister. Nike rolled her eyes.

"Whatever I just wanted to take back my shoes." Nika said whilst searching the room. Taylor stood up.

"You know you can just ask me…and what shoes?" Taylor asked. Nika smiled and picked a pair of shoes up.

"There's no need to ask…and these ones!" She said and walked out.

"NIKA!" Taylor yelled. She went and shut the door and then walked back over to Chad in a huff.

"What's wrong? She only took back her shoes." Chad asked not getting the reason for Taylor's mood.

"Because Chad, they aren't her shoes, they're mine. Just because we're sisters doesn't mean she has to take my shoes without asking." Taylor replied. Chad nodded.

"Well at least your sister isn't going around trying to ruin your life." He said referring to Chanel and Gabriella. Taylor's face softened and she nodded.

"I always knew something was wrong, ever since they walked in homeroom that day." She said sadly.

"Well not all families are perfect, at least she isn't being abused." Chad said with a slight shrug. Taylor looked at him as he drank his milk. Chad felt her gaze on him and looked up. "What?" He asked.

"Chad have you noticed that Gabriella comes into school limping some days? When we touch her she winces, plus she cries a lot. What does all of that add up to?" Taylor asked. Chad looked at her, his brain trying to figure out the connection. Then it came to him.

"She IS being abused." He gasped. Taylor nodded.

"Seems like she is, but the real question is what do WE do?" She asked. Chad thought for a moment.

"Telling the police won't suit well with Gabs, I mean no child wants to tell on their parents." Chad said.

"True and if we tell our parents then they'll tell the police etc. etc." Taylor added. The two sat in deep thought for a moment.

"I know! Lets tell Troy!" Chad said whilst taking out his phone.

"Won't he already know? Seeing as the two are like best friends…" Taylor said.

"Well only one way to find out." Chad said pointing to his phone. Taylor nodded and watched as Chad dialled in Troy's number and waited for the basketball captain to answer.

**At The Supermarket…**

Troy sighed the line was taking forever. He was standing in line to pay with his parents. The only good thing about the line taking forever was that Cath was serving and Troy would be able to think of ways to ignore her and get out. The bad thing was that he would have to wait for ages and then he'd be able to get home and see Gabriella. They were planning on having a movie night, but something inside of Troy made him feel as if something bad was going to happen. Troy snapped out of his thoughts as his phone began to ring. He took it out of his pocket and stepped out of the line. He walked away from the queue and then answered the phone.

"Brie?" He asked hopefully.

"Nope sorry bro, just me." Troy sighed as he heard Chad answer.

"Oh right. Has she called?" Troy asked hoping that she had.

"Nope, me and Tay have been waiting for her to call but she hasn't." Chad replied. Troy groaned.

"What could be wrong? I mean she never turns her phone off!" Troy said. Chad sighed at the other end.

"Urm Troy, me and Tay have something to tell you…" He said.

"Okay…" Troy replied waiting for Chad to carry on.

"We think that Gabs is being abused at home." Chad said after taking a deep breath. Troy sighed.

"I know." He said.

"I know you're amazed and that but- wait you know?" Chad asked.

"Yeah she told me a week back Chad. We are best friends you know and know we are kind of together." Troy mumbled the last part.

"What was that bro?" Chad asked making sure he heard what he heard. Troy was about to answer when he heard squealing in the background. Next thing he knew he was talking to a very excited Taylor.

"Oh my God Troy I knew you two would get together!" She screamed. Troy laughed a little.

"Yeah well fate always has its way." He said. Taylor nodded on the other end.

"Yeah but Troy what are we going to do?" She asked going onto a more serious note.

"I don't know Tay, I really don't know. I've tried everything I can do to help her but she won't let me do anything about that stupid Celina." Troy said angrily.

"Is she the one who hits Gabi?" Taylor asked quietly.

"Yeah that's her. Brie's Dad is okay, I don't think he's really hit her sometimes I think he wants to help her. But a womans wrath is stronger than that, Celina overpowers him and she does what she likes. Brie is just caught up in this game. But she wouldn't be if Chanel would just leave her alone, those two used to be really close. I've seen pictures and heard about it all from Brie. But obviously people change and sometime not for the best." Troy explained. Taylor nodded; Troy had just put everything into perspective. Gabriella's life was like a roller coaster, sometimes it's high up in the sky making her feel happy and great but then it comes back down and makes her said. It never ends. Troy bid goodbye and hung up. He felt tears in his eyes and wiped them away not wanting his parents to know that something was wrong. He got back to their shopping cart and sighed with relief. They were all done and paid for, know all they had to do was get home and then Toy could see what was really going on.

**The Montez Household…**

Gabriella stumbled back unable to stand still. Celina came at her again; there was nothing but pure rage in her eyes.

"I didn't…block you…out…" Gabriella said whilst trying to breathe. "You…assaulted me…the first day…you…came…" She spoke. Celina rolled her eyes and kicked Gabriella, forcing her to fall to the ground. Gabriella's body landed on the carpet with a slight thud. Celina looked at her for a second before smiling and walking out of the room. Chanel took a step forward and instantly stepped back. She didn't want to go near her sister, knowing that it would kill her to see the state her twin was in. Chanel turned around and was about to walk away when she heard a slight cough.

"Chanel…" Gabriella spoke really quietly. Chanel gulped and turned around. She saw Gabriella's pale face and closed her eyes. Her twin sister had a huge black bruise on her eye, her nose had blood coming out of it and so did her mouth. Chanel opened her eyes again and forced herself to look at Gabriella.

"Why?" Gabriella asked. Chanel sighed.

"Because it had to happen this way…" Chanel said lightly.

"Why? I…never did…anything to you." Gabriella said coughing slightly.

"You remind me of her as well you know. I wish I was more like you, but I'm just a duplicate of Celina. Maybe that's why I have this hatred towards you. Because you're you." Chanel said knowing that those reasons didn't justify her actions.

"So you're saying that…you hate me because I'm more like mom? Because I'm me? How do you think that makes me feel?" Gabriella asked her twin. Chanel shrugged.

"I don't think I care too much about that anymore. I'm just another Celina now." She said sadly. At the bottom of her heart Gabriella felt sorry for her sister. She hadn't really thought of anything from Chanel's point of view. Maybe that's why she was in this position, because she hadn't thought of others.

"Well, you may as well finish me off. Because I don't think I have a reason to live anymore." Gabriella said without any emotion in her voice. She may have seemed blunt and careless on the outside but inside she was hurting…bad. Of course she had a reason to live, Troy her friends. But without family there's nothing so Gabriella felt as if she had no purpose. Chanel shook her head slightly.

"You know I can't do that Gabi it's just-" She began to say. Gabriella put her hand up weakly and Chanel stopped talking.

"Don't call me Gabi, only my family and friends are allowed to call me that." Gabriella said. She could see the sadness and guilt in Chanel's eyes. Unfortunately for Gabriella Celina walked in at that very moment.

"Oh so Cinderella thinks that we're not her family? Well then she can just endure this." Celina said as she kicked Gabriella in the stomach repeatedly. Chanel ran out not being able to take it. Gabriella closed her eyes and took in the pain, all she could think of was that she would be in a better place after tonight.

**The Bolton's Car…**

Troy looked at his phone. Expecting it to ring, but it didn't. What was even worse was that they were stuck in traffic.

"Dad! Hurry up…" Troy said impatiently. Jack sighed and looked at his son.

"Troy there's traffic, I can't hurry up." He said. Lucille looked at Troy.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Troy looked at her.

"Nothing." He said whilst shrugging.

"No Troy stop lying. You're never impatient so there must be something wrong." Lucille said. Jack nodded.

"That's true. So spill." He said.

"There's nothing wrong okay!" Troy exclaimed. Lucille raised an eyebrow at her son. Troy sighed and tried to calm himself down.

"I just need to see Brie, that's all." He said. Lucille nodded knowing that that wasn't all. Jack shrugged and looked out at the traffic in front of them. Troy looked down at his phone once again he sighed when he found no message.

**The McKessie Household…**

"The gang will be so pleased to hear that the two lovebirds have finally gotten together!" Taylor exclaimed. She was so happy for her two friends.

"Yeah but how are we going to explain the fact that she's being abused at home?" Chad asked his girlfriend. "I doubt they'll be happy at that piece of news." He said sarcastically. Taylor sighed.

"Chad lets deal with one thing at a time. Plus I doubt Gabi wants us to tell the whole world that she's being abused." Taylor said. Chad nodded.

"The only thing I can't figure out is why her? I mean she's a lovely girl, beautiful, talented. Why doesn't her family love her?" Chad asked. Taylor smiled a little at her boyfriend.

"Since when did you get so deep?" She asked.

"Since I started dating you." Chad replied and pulled her in for a kiss. Taylor pulled away after two seconds.

"Sorry Chad but I can't…" She began to say.

"Yeah I know I feel the same way." Chad cut her off. Taylor smiled and hugged her boyfriend. Chad hugged her back and then noticed that she was crying.

"Don't worry Tay, it'll be okay, I hope." Chad said the last part silently to himself. Taylor just cried even more thinking of her best friend.

**The Montez Household…**

"Stop…stop…please…" Gabriella said weakly as Celina kicked her again and again. Celina just smiled and carried on. Gabriella could feel her blood coming out of her mouth, the more kicks she got the more blood came out. She placed her hand on her stomach and yelled out in pain as Celina kicked her hand with her boots. Gabriella rolled over so she was lying on her stomach. She cried to herself.

"Stop…stop…" She spoke but Celina wasn't hearing her plea.

"Stupid…good for nothing…useless…unwanted…unloved…" Celina kept on repeating harsh and unbearable words to Gabriella.

"Stop!" Celina turned around to find Chanel standing there with a pale face. "Can't you see she's had enough?" Chanel said. She ran to Gabriella's side and turned her over. Gabriella's whole body was covered in blood. "One more blow and you would have killed her!" Chanel cried. Celina looked a little taken aback. Kill? Is that what she was going to do? Is that how she was going to get rid of the unwanted child she has? No she wasn't.

"Just finish me off, don't give me anymore pain." Gabriella said. Blood coming out of her mouth as she spoke.

"No, you're going to feel the pain. You're going to feel exactly how I did when I was kicked out of Julio's life. See how you like it when you lose your loved ones." Celina said as she picked Gabriella up by her arms. Chanel stood up too wondering what her stepmother would do. She watched as Celina dragged Gabriella over to the front door. She dropped her on the floor and opened the door to reveal the freezing cold and rain.

"This is what you deserve." She said as she threw Gabriella outside and closed the door. Chanel tried to protest but could do nothing about it. Gabriella was gone.

**Near The Bolton House…**

Troy sighed with relief as they turned the corner and were on their street. The houses went by one by one and Troy looked at each one waiting to see his own home. They parked the car in the drive way and then got out. Troy pulled his hood over his head as it was still raining hard. Jack opened the boot and they took out the shopping bags. Troy glanced over at Gabriella's home and sighed. He looked up at her balcony and saw that the light wasn't on. He looked at his watch and frowned, Gabriella was usually up there at this time. He looked down and his eyes nearly fell out. He saw his Gabriella on the front porch covered in blood and water from the rain. He dropped the bags and sprinted over to the house. Jack looked at his son and ran after him. Lucille was confused as well until she saw the pale, near to dead Gabriella on the front porch. She hurried inside with the grocery and placed them on the kitchen counter. She left the front door open for the boys and began to go and collect the necessary items for Gabriella.

"Brie!" Troy yelled as he reached his girlfriend. He got no response. He picked her up and looked at his Dad.

"She'll be alright Troy, now lets get her inside." Jack said as he led Troy over to their home. The two men entered the house and Troy took Gabriella into the living room. He placed her on the couch whilst Jack went into the kitchen to find the first aid kit. Lucille came into the room carrying a pillow and a blanket. She placed the pillow underneath Gabriella's head and she placed the blanket over Gabriella's body. Troy just sat there looking at her. Lucille looked at him.

"She'll be okay…" She tried to reassure him. Troy just looked at her.

"How do you know that? I mean look at her…" Troy said looking back at Gabriella. Lucille looked shocked when she noted all of Gabriella's bruises and cuts. Jack entered the room and handed the box to Lucille. She began to patch up Gabriella.

One Hour Later… 

Lucille slipped into bed beside Jack.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" She asked her husband. Jack shrugged.

"I wish I could tell you that she'll be fine but I really don't know." He replied. Lucille sighed.

"I wonder if Troy knows the story behind her bruises." Lucille said as she switched her lamp off.

"Well I bet it had something to do with Gabriella's family. Come tomorrow I'm going to see Julio and tell him what a down right idiot he is." Jack said. Lucile smiled at him as he switched of his lamp. Both tried their best to fall asleep but they couldn't knowing that Gabriella was downstairs. Lucille sat up and got out of bed.

"I'm going down to see her." She said as she put on her slippers and nightgown. Jack nodded.

"I'll be there in a bit." He told her. Lucille went down the stairs and stopped at the living room door. Troy was sat next to Gabriella crying his eyes out. Lucille's heart broke at the sight.

"Brie please wake up. I'm sorry I left you to go home but I said to you to come to my house! I can't believe they did this to you though. Please wake up Brie…please…" He kept on repeating. He looked as if he was going to drop off any second but then he felt a slight squeeze. He looked up at Gabriella and smiled. She was waking up. Lucille ran into the kitchen and began to make something hot for Gabriella to eat. Troy helped Gabriella sit up.

"T-Troy…" She said in a quiet, weak voice.

"Yeah Brie?" He asked.

"They hurt me…it really hurt…they said-they said…" She took a deep breath before continuing. "That it's because I'm m-me…is that right Troy?" She asked.

"No whatever they said is wrong Brie and you know it." Troy reassured her. Gabriella smiled and touched his cheek with her hand.

"Then they said that I deserve to be out I the cold…with no one…alone." She said whilst staring at the ceiling. Troy made her look at him.

"Listen to me Brie, you're not alone. You never will be." He said.

"He's right you know." Troy looked up to find Jack standing there.

"Yup you have us. Now you'll never be alone." Lucille said standing next to Jack. Troy smiled up at his parents and then looked back at Gabriella.

"You're not alone…" He whispered.

"Not alone." She repeated.

* * *

** Oooo! What's going to happen now? lol you'll have to wait and see...reviews are always welcome!**

**Until next time**

**peace xx **


	14. Turning Over A New Leaf

**Hey! I'm back with another chapter. By the way i have to say that i'm sorry for the late update. Blame it all on school.**

**Anyway enjoy ) **

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** The Master Bedroom in the Bolton Household…**

The house was completely quiet; the only noise being heard was the sound of the raindrops hitting the windows on the outside. Lucille closed the door to her bedroom; she had just finished tucking Gabriella in. Lucille slipped out of her nightgown and placed it at the end of the bed; she took off her slippers and placed them next to her side of the bed. Then she slipped underneath the covers. Jack walked out of the bathroom just as she settled down. He jumped into bed and picked up a book to read. Lucille sighed and turned over to her left. She snuggled up tightly and stretched her arm to switch off her lamp. Jack was about to do the same but decided against it, he was too worried to go to sleep anyway. Lucille lay in her small ray of darkness trying to get some sleep. But no matter how hard she tried; she always ended up thinking about Gabriella laying downstairs on her own.

"You worried about her too?" Jack asked out of the blue. Lucille sighed and turned over to face him.

"Yeah I am. It just doesn't seem right for us to be sleeping snugly whilst she is down there trying to catch some sleep and also trying to figure out what's happening at the same time!" Lucille exclaimed. She stopped to take a breath and then wondered if Jack had understood what she meant.

"Yeah I understand what you're saying, no other person would though!" Jack teased. Lucille smiled. No matter what happened, Jack always knew what was on Lucille's mind. It was just their…lover's connection and a very strong one at that.

"You know what I think I'm going to go downstairs and sit with Gabriella. I'm certain she doesn't feel like being alone right now." Lucille said sitting up. Jack nodded.

"Yep, we did say we'd be there for her. Better start now." He said getting out of bed. Lucille did the same and placed her feet in her slippers. She snatched her nightgown from the end of her bed and whipped it on. Jack hesitated for a moment.

"You go down first." He said. Lucille nodded and gave him a peck on the cheek. Jack smiled before rushing towards the toilet. Lucille let out a small laugh before opening the bedroom door and exiting the room. She walked past Troy's room and turned to go downstairs. Her slippers hit the floor of the stairs with a light thud. As she reached the end of the stairs she could hear faint voices. Lucille raised an eyebrow as she walked over to the living room. As she got closer she recognised the two voices. The small, delicate female voice belonged to Gabriella and the louder but comforting male voice belonged to none other than Lucille's son, Troy. Lucille stood in the doorframe of the living room; she looked at the two teens conversing and smiled to herself before walking back upstairs. Jack was just about to step out of the room when he saw a smiling Lucille come back.

"How come you're back?" Jack asked his wife. Lucille smiled.

"Troy's with her, I think we needn't worry." She said as she walked back into the room. Jack smiled.

"That's my boy." He said before closing the room. Both parents were still worried about Gabriella but they felt a little better knowing that their son would always be there for her when they won't. This little fact made it easier for the pair to sleep safely and soundly.

**In The Living Room…**

Troy stopped talking and looked at Gabriella. She was staring up at the ceiling with her soft brown eyes. Those eyes no longer showed him happiness and hope but they showed sadness and despair. Gabriella looked really weak, the bruise on her head was going a purple colour and it was beginning to form a lump. Troy knew that this would upset Gabriella if she looked in the mirror. Her hair was now hanging dryly by her shoulders. Some of it had even come out due to the fact that she was dragged around everywhere. Troy touched Gabriella's cheek and she winced.

"Sorry." He whispered. Gabriella didn't reply but she smiled a little when Troy leant down to kiss her cheek. "Better?" He asked. Gabriella nodded again. Troy sighed, Gabriella was not in the mood for talking and he couldn't blame her. But she needed to let her feelings out and soon. Troy reached for his girlfriend's hand and entwined their fingers. He stroked her hand gently causing her to smile again.

"Thanks Troy…thanks for everything." Gabriella said turning to look at him. Troy smiled; it was the first time she had really looked at him, ever since they bought her in.

"No problem Brie, you know I would go to the end of the world for you." He said Gabriella smiled feeling a light blush on her face. Troy smiled back loving the fact that the things he said made her smile.

"So…" She began to say. Troy knew she wanted to start a conversation, to try and take her mind off things.

"The gang might come over tomorrow…I mean today…" Troy said looking up at the clock. It was now one in the morning. Gabriella suddenly tensed up.

"No Troy they can' come, they can't see me like this…" Gabriella said in a rush.

"It's okay Brie; if you don't want them to come then I'll tell them not to. I'll just say we're having a day to ourselves." He said. Gabriella smiled.

"It would be nice of we were…and thanks Troy." Gabriella replied.

"You know what maybe we should have a day to ourselves. I mean you need to get things off your mind and I'm sure my parents would want me to help you." Troy suggested. Gabriella nodded going quiet again. Troy sighed. He knew the topic of her family issues was hard. But now that he thought of it the Montez family weren't even a family. I mean a stepmother who only beats up one of her stepchildren? A father who doesn't divorce the stepmother even when she lays her hands on his child? Not to mention a backstabbing slut of a sister? That wasn't a family; it was just a group of people with serious issues. Even if Troy thought these things, he didn't mention them to Gabriella. He knew she loved her father and her sister and maybe even her stepmother a little. He also knew that it hurt her a lot to know that they didn't appreciate her.

"Troy…" Gabriella spoke breaking Troy out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?" He answered.

"Can you please go to my-I mean the house next door later on and grab my stuff for me? It would be great if you did." She asked. Troy nodded.

"Yeah sure, Dad was going to go over there anyway." He replied.

"Oh and say to Chanel that I'm sorry." Gabriella said softly. Troy looked confused.

"Yeah sure…" He said knowing that Gabriella wouldn't tell him why he should say that. Gabriella closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep but it wasn't possible. She opened her eyes and felt Troy's head resting on her stomach. She smiled and stroked his hair as he slept. Gabriella felt like waking him up and talking to him about everything but she couldn't bring herself to depriving him of his sleep. Plus he looked cute when he slept!

**The Montez Household…**

"What were you thinking Celina?" Julio asked his wife. Celina looked at the ground, thinking about what she should say. "I can tell you what you were thinking…nothing!" Julio raised his voice. Celina's head shot up and she stared at Julio.

"That _child_ insulted me and you're saying that I didn't think at all!" Celina exclaimed. Obviously she thought that she was in the right but she was so wrong.

"That _child_ just so happens to be my daughter! The rain hasn't even stopped yet, she could be somewhere freezing cold and she could possibly die!" Julio said with a lot of concern. Celina just scoffed.

"Good, she should!" She said. Julio's eyes widened as he glared at his so called wife.

"You know what Celina after all these years I've finally seen the light! Yeah sure you hit Gabriella a little, I was just thinking of discipline but I didn't think you would take it to this extent! You kicked her out Ce! You kicked her out of her own home, MY home!" Julio was furious and Celina began to worry. Julio Montez was a very calm person; he'd rather think things out than have a pointless argument over them. But when it came to his family he would argue non-stop. Now Julio had hit Gabriella as well but not as much as Celina. But Julio still felt responsible for Celina's actions. After all he could have stopped her; he could have prevented this from ever happening.

"Julio, I'm truly sorry, I just don't know what came over me…" Celina began to apologise.

"No, you're not sorry…you're not sorry at all…" The two turned around to find Chanel standing in the doorway.

"Chanel…" Celina began to say.

"Sorry mom-I mean Celina. I agree with Dad." Chanel said as she went and stood by her father. "You mistreated Gabi and that caused her to leave. That was a very bad move Celina…very bad." Chanel finished.

"Chanel you're not one to speak. You ruined her life at school, you watched her get beaten at home and you did nothing to stop it." Celina said smirking. Chanel sighed.

"Yeah you're right, I did do those things. But I've realised my mistakes and I want to make everything better. Because the actual fact is that I miss my twin sister. She's the only thing left that reminds me of mom. I mean sure I look a bit like mom, as much as Gabi does but my attitude is all you and I don't want to be like you anymore." Chanel explained. Julio smiled at his daughter.

"Oh for God's sake! Your mother is gone, dead, off the face of this earth! She's never coming back! That's why you have me! To care for you and look after you but you don't appreciate me. All you think of or did think of is your mother! And I hate her for making my lover think of only her!" Celina said. Julio took a step forward.

"Okay it's really late now. I'm going to go and try to find Gabriella. Celina you go upstairs and stay there. We'll think about what's going to happen with us in the morning. Chanel you go to be as well and don't worry at all. I'm going to find her and bring her back because I'm not going to lose her, just like I lost your mother." Julio sounded determined. Celina hung her head low as she stomped upstairs. Julio planted a kiss on Chanel's head before grabbing his jacket and running out into the rain. Chanel walked up the stairs slowly. She got into her room and fell onto her bed. What was she to do? It was all partially her fault. Chanel felt horrible and she also wanted to talk to someone. Then an idea popped into Chanel's head. She stood up and picked up her cell phone. She dialled in the number of a very good friend.

**The Bolton Household…**

Lucille placed Jack's breakfast in front of him.

"Remember to go to the office and tell them that Gabi and Troy won't be coming in today." Lucille reminded her husband. Jack nodded.

"What should I say as an excuse?" He asked. Lucille thought for a moment.

"Hmmm… just say that they've caught a cold from playing around in the rain." She answered. Jack nodded.

"Makes sense I guess." He said as he took a sip of his coffee. Lucille sat down to eat herself. At East High the teachers all knew about Troy and Gabriella. Even if they weren't a couple they still acted like one. So making up a story about playing in the rain would just make the teachers laugh and smile about young love. Jack finished the last of his breakfast and stood up to place his dishes in the sink. Lucille did the same.

"So what about them?" Lucille said pointing to the living room. "Are we just going to leave them alone or what?" She asked. Jack looked at the living room door.

"Well we'll have to. I mean I have to go to work because the boys need extra practise, obviously Troy doesn't. You have to go to work too because they need to down there. Troy can handle himself as well as Gabriella. And if he needs help he can just give us a bell. Don't worry about them Luce." Jack reassured Lucille. She nodded and began to wash the dishes. Jack went to grab his jacket and his briefcase – as well as being a coach he also taught a little science. Lucille took off the washing up gloves and put her own jacket on. She grabbed her own briefcase and was about to join Jack in the car. But she stopped and walked into the living room. She smiled as she saw Troy and Gabriella sleeping peace fully together. She walked out and opened the door to the passenger seat of Jack's car.

"What took you so long?" Jack asked as he started the car.

"Oh I just went to check on the two lovebirds." Lucille answered. Jack shook his head and laughed.

"Luce, I told you that they'll be okay." He said as he back out of the driveway. Lucille looked at him and smiled.

"Yeah you did and you were right. They'll be just fine." She said as the image of them together in the living room came to mind. Jack just grinned at her comment.

"I'm always right; you should know that by now." He said cockily. Lucille shook her head and looked to her right. Julio Montez had just pulled into his own driveway. It looked like he had had a rough night. _Serves him right_, Lucille thought to herself. But inside she felt a little pang of sympathy for him. However the feeling went as quickly as it came. She just looked away and watched as Jack drove over to the care home. They reached the care home in a matter of minutes and Lucille stepped out of the car.

"Bye hon." She said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Jack watched as Lucille walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. The door opened and Lucille gave Jack a wave before stepping in. Jack waved back and then began to make his way towards East High. When he got there he parked his car in the parking lot and made his way over to the office. After talking to the secretary and making the teachers laugh, Jack made his way over to the gym. He relaxed as he watched some students play some basketball. Jack smiled knowing that everything would be fine. What he didn't know was that he was going to have to do a lot of explaining during the remainder of the day.

**The Montez Household…**

Chanel walked up to her mirror and looked at her reflection. She smiled in satisfaction. _"You don't need flashy clothes to get noticed and look good Chan…"_ His words echoed in her mind. Chanel smiled, _'he was so right'_, she thought. Chanel had replaced all her flashy, showy, extreme clothes for some nice, comfortable yet cute, ones. It was probably the best thing she had done in years. She tugged the side of her Miss Sixty chiffon dress and adjusted the silver belt attached to it. She pulled down her Miss Sixty chain crop jeans just a little. It was the first time Chanel had worn proper jeans in a long time and Chanel felt as if she had been missing out on a lot. Her mini-skirts were nothing compared to the simple effect the jeans gave her. _"I know you love fashion Chan but fashion doesn't mean flashy."_ Again she heard his wise words echo in her mind. Chanel strode over towards her closet and looked at all her shoes. _'What to wear?'_ she thought. Chanel was about to just give up when she spotted some really nice shoes at the end of the closet. Chanel pulled them out and smiled.

"Perfect" She said to herself. Chanel pulled on her favourite Miss Sixty metallic court shoes. "Long time no wear." She said as she finished putting them on. Chanel walked back over to the mirror and smiled. Sure she was decked out in designer but she felt more comfortable than ever. Usually her hair hung proudly by her shoulders, sleek and straight. But today Chanel had tied her hair up in a messy bun, an affect that took ages to do but Chanel had cracked it. Chanel smiled as she whipped out some eyeliner and began to apply it. _"You don't need hoards of make up to make you look beautiful. You're just a natural beauty so just accept that."_ He had told her and she had followed his advise. Her make up was now kept to a minimum, she no longer slapped loads of it on, she just added a little gloss and a little eye make up and still looked every bit of the natural beauty that she was. Chanel looked at her reflection once more and decided that it looked better than anything she had worn before. With that in mind she grabbed her favourite jacket from its hanger and made her way downstairs. Chanel had been feeling a lot happier in the past few hours and it was all thanks to her very long phone call to Dan last night. At first she had hesitated but spoke nevertheless. Of course Dan was a bit bitter with her but as they got talking he softened up. Chanel had to explain a whole lot to him and some bits he wasn't so happy about but putting all of that to a side he still cared for her and decided to give her another chance. So after talking for hours Chanel had finally managed to gain her place back in Dan's life and heart. Also he was planning on coming to Albuquerque to help with Gabriella and visit Chanel, and she couldn't be happier. Actually she would be even happier if Gabriella was home. That would make this whole change worthwhile. Chanel skipped into the kitchen and stopped. She had expected to see Celina making breakfast and her Dad sitting reading a newspaper as usual. But today was different. The kitchen was untouched, and the newspaper was just lying on the table – also untouched. Chanel walked towards the cupboard and pulled out a box of cereal, she grabbed a bowl, spoon and a carton of milk and made her own breakfast. After making her cereal, she poured herself a nice glass of orange squash and then sat down to eat her breakfast. As she ate she wondered how Celina would be taking all of this in. How would she be able to live with herself? Chanel just dismissed the thoughts as she finished her breakfast and placed her plates in the sink. Chanel walked out of the kitchen and grabbed her bag. She looked around once more before opening the front door and stepping outside. As she got out she saw the Bolton's backing out of their driveway. _'Where's Troy?'_ she wondered. Usually he was here in the morning waiting for Gabriella. The thought that he might know already where Gabriella was crossed Chanel's mind but it went as quick as it came. Chanel ran down the steps and up to her father's car.

"So…?" She asked hoping that he would make Gabriella appear out of the car anytime soon. Bt Julio just hung his head low in shame and disappointment. "Don't worry Daddy I'm sure she's fine. Wherever she is…I'm just sure she's fine." Chanel said to her father. As Julio prodded back inside the house Chanel couldn't help but look at the Bolton Household. _'Could she…? Maybe…We'll just have to see then…'_ she thought as she passed the house. Chanel began to make her way to East High knowing that there was a lot of apologising and explaining to do.

**East High…**

"So Shakespeare was THE most talented man alive back in those days and of course women swooned over him and oh he was an amazing writer…" Ms Darbus clasped her hands together and created a dreamy look on her face. The students sitting in the room looked at her with dumbfounded expressions. What was she on about? That was what they were all thinking.

"…He got married a few times but it never worked out and he died without finding his soul mate…" She carried on. The class just waited for her to stop, and they all knew that that wasn't going to happen any time soon. The gang was seated at the back as usual. Kelsi and Jason were seated at the far end of the row, Zeke and Sharpay were as close as close could be, and Taylor and Chad were just sitting looking up at the clock then at the door every other minute. Martha was relaxing and listening to her tunes and Ryan was just about the only person in the class who was listening to Ms Darbus.

"Where the hell are they?" Taylor spoke as she looked up at the clock for the hundredth time. "It's not like them o be late and it's certainly not like them to miss school." She said looking back at her friends.

"Maybe they got caught up in traffic." Ryan suggested as he turned away from Ms Darbus's 'interesting' talk. There were murmurs of 'maybe' and 'possibly' heard throughout the eight mates. Just then the door opened and in walked in a very flustered Chanel.

"Sorry…bus…walk…late!" Chanel placed her hand on a desk and tried to catch her breath. Ms Darbus looked at her, both confused and furious that her talk was interrupted.

"Miss Montez please speak full sentences." The woman said as she adjusted her glasses. Chanel nodded and took a deep breath.

"Well I said I'm sorry because I missed the bus and then I had to walk really fast and so I got here really late." Chanel explained her reason and then let out a sigh of relief. Ms Darbus nodded, just glad that she could go back to talking about Shakespeare.

"Thank you Miss Montez now please go take a seat." She said as she entered this on the school registration system. Chanel nodded and began to walk to her seat. As she made her way she felt all eyes on her. She looked around and saw that she was right. The class was looking at Chanel and how she had changed. By now they were used to her flashy and over done outfits but this-this was more Gabriella. Chanel just smiled at them as she found her seat-this made them even more confused and astonished.

"What's with the getup?" Kelsi was the first to speak. Everyone shrugged and just dismissed the topic.

"Forget the change-and the cute shoes- she's our ticket to finding out where Gabriella and Troy are." Sharpay stated. The rest nodded and agreed with her statement-obviously the boys disagreed with the shoes part.

"We'll talk to her in free period."Jason suggested. The rest agreed. The turned their attention back to Ms Darbus.

"…Romeo and Juliet was a tale of two lovers, it was an amazing story and even better play. Back in the old days…" Ms Darbus was on a roll today. Apparently-according to Ryan-Ms Darbus had gone out to see yet another Shakespeare play. Everyone knew that she talked about them non stop after she had seen them so today was going to be a long day.

"Don't you mean back in your days." Chad said and some of the students sniggered.

"Thank you Mr Danforth." Ms Darbus turned her attention to Chad. "And I don't need to remind you that this is not a hockey arena!" Ms Darbus shouted.

"For God's sake woman they are called basketball courts! We play with this ball on a basketball court!" Chad nearly yelled at his teacher. Ms Darbus just raised an eyebrow.

"Mr Danforth I highly suggest that you keep your opinions to yourself." She said before walking off.

"Who said anything about opinions? It's a damn fact! A basketball is used on a basketball court! If I was carrying a hockey putt then but…" Chad began to ramble but a hand covered his mouth.

"Quit while you're ahead Chad." Taylor said and took her hand away. Chad sighed and sunk back in his seat. Taylor looked up at the time, if they weren't here in another fifteen minutes then something was definitely wrong. She looked over at Chanel who – instead of her normal glare – had a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Something is definitely wrong." Taylor whispered to no one.

**The Bolton Household…**

Troy placed the plates on a tray and was about to take the tray into the living room when Gabriella walked in.

"Hey sleepyhead, are you feeling better?" Troy asked as he planted a kiss on the top of her head. Gabriella nodded as she slowly limped towards the stool. She sat down and sighed. Her body was hurting all over, sure she could walk again but it didn't mean that she was 100 okay.

"Your mom did a great job with first aid. I mean I feel a little better." Gabriella said. Troy looked up and smiled.

"Yeah well she has to be good at first aid because of the care home stuff enit." Troy explained. Gabriella nodded.

"Yum that looks nice." She said as she eyed the breakfast that was sitting on a plate on a tray. Troy just grinned as he took two glasses out and poured in some orange squash.

"Well it was going to be breakfast in bed for you but now it'll just have to be breakfast on the table." Troy said. Gabriella laughed a little. Troy joined in, not because he found it funny but because Gabriella's laugh was contagious and when she laughed, he laughed. Troy placed the tray in front of Gabriella and took the seat next to hers.

"So wildcat what are we up to today?" Gabriella asked as she dug into her breakfast.

"Well I was thinking that we go get your stuff-" Troy felt Gabriella tense up next to him, he sighed a little and caressed her hand trying to make her relax. "-Then we could go to the park or wherever else you want to go." Troy finished. His method had seemed to work because Gabriella was relaxed again.

"Great but I kind of want to go back to the care home. I want to see Derek again." Gabriella said. Troy nodded.

"Yeah we can go there after we go to get your stuff." Troy said as he watched her finish her breakfast.

"Great." Gabriella said quietly. Troy noticed her tone.

"Or we can go before, just so you can relax a bit before going next door." Troy suggested. Gabriella looked up and smiled.

"That would be better." She said in her normal tone of voice. Troy smiled and nodded. "But urm what shall I wear?" Gabriella said looking down at her bloody shirt and torn trousers. Troy thought for a moment and then grinned.

"Well Jen usually stays over so she has a full draw of clothes upstairs. You can borrow a pair of her clothes." Troy said. Gabriella nodded.

"Great, I think I'll go find them now." She stood up and began to walk – limp – out of the room. Troy watched her walk out and sighed. He knew she was putting on a brave face and it hurt him to know that she felt as if she needed to keep everything cooped up inside. Gabriella walked up the stairs carefully, not wanting to hurt herself even more. She walked over to the room Jen usually stayed in and looked for her closet. Gabriella found a reasonably large closet and opened it. Inside she found a lot of clothes. Gabriella smiled. Jen always over packed. Gabriella searched through the hoard of clothes, trying to find something that was more, well, her. She found a nice black off shoulder roll sleeve top and some rouched leggings to go with it. Gabriella peeled off her blood ridden shirt and placed the new, comfortable – and not to mention clean – top over it. She did the same with her trousers. Gabriella found some nice little pumps sitting by the closet and figured that Jen wouldn't mind if she borrowed them for a day. Gabriella placed them on her feet and sighed. Next thing to conquer was her hair. She searched around the room and spotted a nice dressing table sitting in the corner. On the dressing table was a load of hair accessories and make up. Gabriella giggled.

"Good old Jen." She said as she began to sort herself out. After a few minutes Gabriella was clean and ready to go. She walked out of the room and bumped into Troy.

"Hey." Troy said looking down at his girlfriend. "You look nice Brie." Troy said with a smile. Gabriella smiled back and kissed him on his lips. She felt Troy smile into the kiss as she deepened it. After a few seconds Gabriella pulled away. Troy looked at her with a confused expression on his face.

"We have to get to the care home." She said taking his hand and leading him downstairs.

"They wouldn't mind if we were a few minutes late, I'm sure!" Troy said. Gabriella just laughed at his attempts. Again Troy couldn't help but smile and laugh along with her. "Okay let's just go." Troy said as he grabbed his jacket. He looked at Gabriella who was just standing there. "Its cold outside so…" Troy said as he handed her one of his jumpers. Gabriella put the jacket on and gave Troy a thankful smile. The two walked out and Gabriella waited as Troy locked the door. After he was done, he took Gabriella's hand and they were one their way.

**The Care Home…**

"ANA!" Sue screamed at the young girl. Ana just smiled cheekily and ran into the other room. Sue sighed and began to clean up the mess that had just been created. Sue picked up a sponge and started to clean the table. DING DONG! Sue sighed as she heard the doorbell ring.

"Please let it be help." She whispered as she made her way towards the front door. When she got there she made out two figures standing on the other side of the door. A male and female. "Huh?" She said. There weren't any potential foster parents coming in today. Sue frowned as she opened the door.

"Hey Sue!" Sue's frown turned into a smile as she recognised the couple.

"Troy, Gabriella. Great to see you come in." She said as she stepped to a side. Troy and Gabriella smiled as they entered the care home. Sue closed the front door and followed them into the living room. "I'm a wreck at the moment and so is the house." Sue said pointing to all the mess on the floor.

"No worries Sue, you sort yourself out and we'll sort the place out." Gabriella said. Sue nodded.

"Thanks a million you two." She said as she walked out of the room. After she left Troy and Gabriella looked around the room and then at each other.

"Let's get cracking." Troy said rubbing his hands together. "Shall I take the kitchen?" He asked his girlfriend. Gabriella nodded.

"Yeah sure, I'll sort out these kids." She said as she looked at the messy, dirty children. Troy rolled his eyes playfully.

"Yeah sure, give me the easy job." He said with fake sarcasm. Gabriella giggled a little and pushed him towards the door.

"Okay…let's see…" She said as she looked at the kids. They were sat in front of the TV watching cartoons. Gabriella sighed and chose the smallest kid first. "Hey…" She spoke softly. The child looked back at her, a cute smile plastered on his face. "What's your name cutie?" She asked.

"Timothy." He replied quietly. Gabriella nodded and took his hand.

"Well Timothy, let's go get you dressed." She said as he led her up to his room. Gabriella looked through the little boy's closet and found a cute shirt and jeans for him to wear. After struggling to get the clothes on Timothy, she sorted his shoes, face and hair out. "Okay that's it Timothy." She said ruffling his hair a little. Timothy hugged her and then ran off to play. Gabriella winced a little at his touch but smiled nonetheless. After he left she went to fins another child to sort out.

**East High…**

Chanel walked down the halls, pleased that she hadn't done one horrible thing throughout the first part of the day. The downfall was that Gabriella was nowhere to be seen, that meant that either she had been found, or was still missing. As Chanel thought, she didn't realise that Sharpay and Taylor were headed her way.

"Oi, princess, I need a word." Sharpay spoke harshly, causing Chanel to snap out of her thoughts. Chanel opened her mouth to respond but she was already being dragged away.

"Hey, get off me." She struggled as they led her into a room. They shoved her in and stepped inside, closing the door behind them.

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**Well hope that was good enough for you. Thanks for all your reviews and i hope you'll review again!**

**Until next time**

**Peace xx**


	15. Letting It Out

**I'm Back With Another Chapter! It's Really Long And I Hope You Like It! It Took Me Yonks To Write It So Please Review And Tell Me What You Thought!**

**Plus Read My New One-Shot: Big Mistake It's A Troyella! And Review. Also Check Out My Other Stories! Please And Thank You )**

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Julio walked into the house, his head hung low and his shoulders drooped. He set his keys on the table and looked up for the first time. Celina was nowhere to be seen; in fact she hadn't come out of her room since last night.

"Last night…" Julio whispered, thinking about Gabriella again. "How could I be so stupid?" He asked himself. "I just let her be abused; I'm not a good father at all." He said sitting down at the table. He picked up the newspaper lying on the table-top and gave it one look before setting it down again. He couldn't be asked to read at a time like this. He was too worried about his own issues, let alone think and read about other people's problems. Julio sighed, and wished that Marie was here right now. She would definitely brighten up his day no matter how bad it would be. But at that time Julio had never thought about her good points, because he was still blinded by his love for Celina. Now he wished more than ever that he had just broken it off with Celina. Julio stared into space, lost in thoughts of his past…

**Flashback…**

**Having a great time with Celina…**

"So she stepped on the ball!" Julio said and caused his friends to roar with laughter.

"I did not!" Celina argued, her jet black hair spraying everywhere. Julio smirked.

"Yes you did." He said. Celina just huffed and sat back, Julio was going to apologise but he saw the twinkle in her green orbs and instantly knew that she was just joking. At this time, they were seated in a restaurant with a couple of their good friends, having a ball. Julio loved every moment he spent with Celina, whether it was alone or with other people. She was just a great person to be with.

"So Julio, when are you and Ce going to start a family?" His best mate, Zac, nudged him. Julio blushed a little at the mention of family a.k.a kids.

"Don't know Z, just going with the flow at the moment. Plus Ce has to finish up at college first." Julio said pointing to his girl of five years. Yes it sounds like a long time but both knew that they wanted to be together forever.

"Good, so are you going to start trying on graduation night?" Zac asked. Julio thumped his friend on the shoulder as the rest of their friends began to laugh. He snuck a look at Celina who was also laughing, but looking a bit embarrassed at the same time. Her high cheekbones were now tinted pink as she let out one of her beautiful laughs. Julio couldn't help but smile. "Oi lover boy!" He snapped out of his trance as Zac waved his hand in front of Julio's face. "You two can look at each other closely later, right now we have to celebrate!" Zac yelled. The table burst out in another cheer. Their college basketball team had just won their championships and everyone was out to celebrate. Julio couldn't be happier. He had a gorgeous girl, an amazing best friend and one heck of a team. He was definitely feeling on top of the world right now.

**Meeting Marie…**

Julio walked into the house, shoulders slumped, not in the mood for a party, but here he was at his best friend's annual bash.

"Yo bro." Zac greeted Julio as he reached their table. Zac looked at his friend and sighed. He excused himself from the rest of his guests and dragged Julio to a side. "Mate you have got to stop moping!" Zac said. Julio just sighed.

"Eight years man, and now she wants to break it off with me. I just don't think I should be here right now." Julio said as he tried to move. But Zac gripped him and wouldn't let go.

"Listen man, she wanted a break for a reason, so that she could go screw other guys; I suggest you find a better girl! Give her a taste of her own medicine." Zac advised his friend. Julio just sighed again. He let his best friend steer him over to a group of girls. "Hello ladies." Zac winked at them, causing them to giggle. Julio rolled his eyes; these girls were definitely not his type. Julio looked away as Zac flirted with them. His eyes wandered around the room until they landed to a girl sitting on the couch, in the corner on her own.

"Excuse me." He excused himself and walked over to the girl. He sat down on the couch and looked over at her. She was beautiful, ebony curls hung freely at her shoulders, she had an exotic look to her and Julio smiled. He had found another Hispanic. She looked over at him with her warm, welcoming brown orbs and smiled. Her lips, the colour of mocha latte, he just wanted to have a taste.

"Hey." She spoke, her voice soft and angelic. Julio smiled at the sound of it.

"Hey." He spoke as softly.

"So..." She fiddled with her hands as she spoke.

"You having a good time?" Julio started the conversation. She nodded in return. "Good, because I always like to spend my parties sitting on a couch looking bored out of my mind. It's just a whole bundle of fun." He joked. She let a small giggle escape her lips and Julio smiled, no he beamed at her.

"I'm just not in the mood to party, but Zac wanted me to come, so here I am." She said casually. Julio nodded.

"So how well do you know Zac?" He asked curiously, he was sure that Zac hadn't ever mentioned this girl before. If he had then Julio would have remembered her for sure.

"Well we're kind of childhood friends. I moved away and then just came back recently. He wanted me to come here to 'mingle' and get back in the dating game." Julio chucked as she used air quotes in her answer.

"Funny, because Zac invited me here to mingle and get back in the dating game as well." He said with a sparkle in his eyes. She looked at him and grinned.

"Marie." She said, sticking out her hand. Julio took it.

"Julio." He replied with a small wink. He decided that maybe coming to the party wasn't a bad thing after all.

**Finding out that he was going to become a father…**

Julio walked around the corner and up the street. He passed a few houses before coming to the one he needed. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently. Then door opened a few seconds later and Julio was greeted by his best friend.

"Hey man." He spoke giving Zac's hand a shake. Zac shook it and stepped aside for Julio to enter. "So what did you need to…talk to me about?" He paused as he spotted Marie sitting on the couch. She looked up and smiled at him weakly, Julio smiled back and then looked at Zac.

"You two need to talk." Zac said as he exited the living room and trudged up the stairs. Julio heard Zac's bedroom door slam and then looked over at Marie. She looked as pale as ever, Julio sensed that something wasn't right. He took a deep breath and walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Hey." He spoke quietly. Marie looked at him; her eyes were red and puffy. Julio noted that this wasn't a good sign. "What's wrong?" He asked, taking her hand and stroking it softly. Marie looked away for a moment, thinking about how she should say what she had to say. Julio waited for her to gather her words and continued to stroke her hand. Marie looked over at him.

"Julio…" She spoke softly and quietly. He looked over at her with concern. "I'm pregnant." She said and looked away, not wanting to see his reaction. Julio's eyes widened, did she just say what he though she said? She's pregnant?

"No way…" He whispered to himself. Marie let out a small sob and Julio immediately pulled her into a hug as she sobbed into his shirt. "Shh, shh, it'll be okay." He whispered softly. Marie nodded but carried on sobbing. Julio sighed, wondering how he would solve this problem and how he would break the news to Celina. Marie lifted her head up.

"What are we going to do?" She asked wiping away her tears. Julio sighed.

"Well you're not aborting it, I won't let you." He spoke firmly. Marie nodded.

"I don't want to abort it either. Julio we have to work something out, my family will go berserk, and I'll be such a disappointment." Marie said, fresh tears forming in her eyes. Julio shook his head.

"No you won't, we'll just have to get…get hitched." He said as if it were simple. Even he knew that it was the worst idea in the world but he had to do it. For Marie and his unborn child. Marie looked up at him and smiled for the first time in a while.

**Telling Celina…**

Julio knocked on the door and waited for her to answer. She opened the door within a few seconds and flung her arms around him. She pulled away and gave him a peck on the lips. He smiled as she pulled him into her apartment.

"Julio babe, I'm so glad to see you." She said as she sat him down next to her. Julio nodded.

"Me too." He said. Celina frowned.

"You don't seem too happy to see me." She said quietly. Julio sighed and she knew that something was up. "What's wrong?" She said instantly. Julio closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Remember in the summer when we broke it off for a bit…?" Julio asked. Celina nodded.

"Yeah baby. And I know that it's only been two months since that, but I'm 100 percent into this relationship now." Celina reassured him. Julio sighed again, why did she have to make this even harder than it was?

"Well there's more. I went to Zac's annual summer bash and met a girl." As soon as those words came out, Celina's eyes filled with fury. "We spent some time together and we might have gotten carried away, but it was unintentional. So then she had to leave and I was okay with that, we moved on and forgot about each other. You and I got back together and just recently she met me and told me that she's…pregnant." Julio finished. Celina's eyes flared up and she jumped up.

"JULIO RICARDO MONTEZ! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU CHEATED ON ME!" She screamed at him. Julio winced at the loudness of her voice. She looked at him, waiting for him say something.

"Well it wasn't intentional, you broke up with me and Zac said that he saw you with another guy, so basically we're even." Julio said simply. Celina blinked a couple of times.

"But…I…you got her pregnant!" She cried. Julio nodded, looking ashamed.

"Well what's done is done. What do we do now? I can't just leave her alone." He said, trying to think of a solution. Celina sat down next to him; her anger had died down now.

"Why not?" She asked. Julio looked at her as if she was crazy.

"Well first off, she's carrying my baby and secondly Zac would behead me. They're childhood friends and I don't plan on losing my best mate." He told her. "Urm, I already came up with one solution." He said, looking away. Celina looked at him, wanting to know what his great solution was to this massive problem.

"Abortion?" She said hopefully. Julio looked at her as if she was mad.

"No way, I thought that she's going to need me around and that maybe I should marry…her." He said slowly. He looked at his girlfriend, waiting to see her reaction. She just sat in front of him, eyes wide, and body frozen. "Ce…Celina…" He said waving a hand in front of his face. Celina just stood and ran into her bedroom. Julio sighed and ran his hands through his hair. This was going to be hard. He heard Celina throwing things about. Really hard.

**Becoming a husband…**

Julio paced around in his dressing room. He looked in the mirror and fiddled with his tie a little. There was a knock on the door and Julio jumped at the sound.

"Come, come in." He said after recovering from his shock. The door opened and Celina popped her head in. Julio's face softened as she entered the room. She looked gorgeous in her pink tea-length silky satin halter neck bridesmaid dress. She walked over to Julio and managed to smile at him. Julio could tell that it was forced but he was happy that he made the effort.

"Hey baby." She spoke softly.

"Don't." He said looking away. Celina looked at him in confusion. "Don't call me baby, we can't do this Ce. I'm about to get married and I need to act like a proper husband." He said sadly. Celina took a step back.

"Sorry, but I just thought. One last time?" She asked. He sighed and nodded. Celina stepped forward and placed a short, sweet kiss on his lips. Julio pulled away and smiled down at her.

"You know Ce, I'll always love you. I just want to say thanks for understanding." He said as he hugged her. Celina sighed and pulled away.

"Well anything for you…Julio." She gave him a sad look and than walked away from him. Julio watched as his lover opened the door and walked out of his life. He sighed and sat down on the couch to his left. He felt so down, but he had to stick it out. He had to do this for his child. For Marie, for her well being. Julio snapped out of his thoughts as he heard a knock on the door.

"Hey man." Zac walked into the room. "Nearly time." He said. Julio looked up and smiled.

"Nearly time." He said Zac could hear the nervousness and sadness in his voice.

"You made a good choice; you just have to stick it out now man." He said. Julio nodded as the door opened and Adam, Marie's brother, stuck his head in.

"Time to go." He said. Julio walked out and into the hall. Everyone was staring at him as he walked up to his place at the front. He spotted Celina at the back and sent her a small smile. She returned it and then he looked away. He didn't want to make this anymore harder than it already was. The music started to play and the doors opened. Marie entered the hall with her father. Julio's jaw dropped at the sight of her. She looked…stunning. She walked up to him with a huge grin on her face. Her father handed her over.

"Take good care of my little girl." He said as he went to take a seat next to his wife. Marie and Julio stood out in front and listened as the priest started the ceremony. Julio repeated the right words and said his vows.

"I do." Marie said.

"I do." Julio said. The priest smiled out at both of them.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." He said and Julio lent down to kiss Marie. He felt bad, doing it in front of Celina but when his lips touched Marie's he didn't even think about Celina. As he pulled away, he looked out at Celina, who was crying. Julio sighed; he looked back at Marie and saw that she was smiling. Julio sighed again. Was it possible to be in love with two women at the same time?

**Becoming a father…**

Julio led Marie into the hospital. Her stomach was now huge and she looked like she was ready to pop.

"Julio Ricardo Montez get me into a wheelchair now!" She yelled at him. Julio laughed a little before running to grab a wheelchair. He placed her in the wheelchair and wheeled her off and into the emergency room. Julio sighed as the doctors and nurses took over. He left them to do their job as he ran out to call his family, her family and Zac.

"AHH!" He heard a faint scream. Julio quickly made the call to Zac and asked him to tell everyone else. He ended the call and ran into the emergency room and looked for Marie. She looked painfully red and she looked like she was going to blow up any second. He grabbed her hand and began to stroke it gently. It soothed her somehow but didn't stop her from squeezing his hand really hard.

"Okay Mrs Montez, push!" The midwife spoke up. Marie gathered her strength and pushed with all her might. After ten minutes of hard work, out came their baby girl. The nurse cut the umbilical cord and passed her over to another nurse so that they could clean her off. The midwife stood ready for baby number two.

"I can see the head! Push Mrs Montez PUSH!" She yelled. Marie pushed again. Harder and harder and out came baby girl number two.

"Congratulations, you have two healthy baby girls." The nurse said, handing both Marie and Julio a baby each. "Names?" She said as she began to clear up. Marie smiled up at Julio.

"Gabriella Anne Montez." She said, looking down at the baby girl in her arms.

"And Chanel Amerie Montez." Julio said looking down at the baby girl in his arms.

**End Flashback…**

Julio sighed and snapped out of his thoughts as he felt a presence in the room. He looked up and saw Celina.

"Hey Julio." She said quietly, she walked into the kitchen and sat down on the stool next to him. She took his hands in hers. "I'm sorry." She spoke. Julio snatched his hands away.

"No you're not Celina. You're just saying it, you're never sorry." He said, looking away from her. Celina looked away as well.

"So what are we going to do? Is this how it ends? Our love is broken because you value your daughter more than your childhood love." She said, the fire returning in her eyes. Julio looked back at her; the anger in his eyes was more than ever.

"She's my daughter Ce! What part of that don't you get? She's a part of me, a part of Marie, she's a part of this family and you have no right in trying to get rid of her. The only connection you have to the twins is through me! And maybe you'll lose that connection as well." He said quietly. Celina looked at him. "I should have just stayed with Marie instead of seeing you behind her back. I realize now that she made me happy, she was my wife and the mother of my children. And it's my entire fault that she's gone. My love for you blinded me from seeing that I was truly happy with her." He said. Celina looked shocked.

"I love you Julio. I always have and always will." She said with honesty.

"Yeah you say that but you don't really mean it. Back when we were just dating you used to take a break from us a lot and got up to God knows what and then even when I was married, you wouldn't leave me alone. Even when I asked you to. I was trying to make it easier for us and you made it harder. And that cost me everything." Julio said standing up. "I'm going out to look for Gabriella again, so stay here and don't go anywhere." He warned her. Celina nodded and watched as her man walked out.

**East High, Free Period, Empty Classroom…**

"So what is this all about?" Chanel asked as the girls shoved her on a chair. She looked around the room and saw all of Gabriella's mates, minus Gabriella and Troy.

"You know what this is about." Sharpay said, crossing her arms across her chest. She sent Chanel a death glare.

"Where's Gabriella?" Kelsi spoke up first. Chanel looked down.

"I don't know." She spoke quietly. Sharpay scoffed.

"Yeah right, tell us now." She spoke in a low, menacing voice. Chanel sighed.

"I told you, I don't know." She said looking straight at them.

"That's it." Sharpay stepped towards Chanel but Taylor held her back.

"She's telling the truth, you can tell." She said as she pulled the blonde away. Sharpay staggered back and crossed her arms in a huff.

"Yeah but she could just be trying to cover up the truth." Jason pointed out. The gang nodded and looked at Chanel.

"Look I have nothing to gain and nothing to lose by telling you lies. I'm done with all these lies and schemes. Can't you tell?" She said. Taylor looked at Chanel and surprisingly believed her.

"Look Chanel, I believe you, the rest might not but I do. But right now that isn't the problem. I know that Gabriella gets abused and I need you to tell me where she is." Taylor spoke calmly. The gang's eyes widened, as did Chanel's. Chad was the only one who wasn't shocked.

"H-How did you find out?" Chanel spoke up after a moment of silence.

"We just figured it out. Come one guys, don't tell me that you didn't once think that she was being abused." Taylor looked at the rest of her friends. "When she first came, didn't you feel like there was a part of her that was missing?" Taylor asked. Slowly her friends nodded.

"Yeah I thought that you know. You could tell from her face and the way she reacted to Chanel." Jason spoke up first.

"Yeah when she hugs us, she winces a little. I just thought it was sensitivity or something."Kelsi was the next to speak up.

"Yeah she was very hesitant when it came around to the sleepover." Sharpay added in. "I mean we had to beg her and Troy stepped in."

"She was always very distant, especially on the day on dance tryouts." Martha spoke up as well. Her and Gabriella had patched up their differences and made friends again. Now Martha was worried for her dancing crazy friend.

"Yeah and remember that day in Chemistry she came in and she looked like she was crying. Maybe something had happened to her then." Jason added.

"She was always irritated when it came to asking what was wrong with her." Ryan said remembering back to when she blew up at him for asking her what was up.

"Yeah and at the sleepover, all of it points to the fact that Gabs is being mistreated. Does Troy know?" Zeke turned to ask Taylor.

"Of course he does Zeke, they're best friend's y'no, plus they're dating." She added as an after thought. The gang broke out in smiles but the smiles soon left their faces because they realized that Gabriella might be in trouble.

"So what do we do?" Kelsi asked. Taylor turned to Chanel, who was looking very guilty.

"We ask this Barbie doll to tell us what the hell is going on." Taylor placed her hands on her hips and looked very serious. Chanel sighed. She might as well tell them, they were bond to find out in the end anyway.

"You all know that our mother isn't really our mother. Celina is our step-mother and she hates Gabriella. I mean I followed Celina and looked up to her whilst Gabriella hung onto the memories of our real Mom and did everything she did. I love my real mother as well, but I was young and didn't know any better. So slowly, slowly Celina began to abuse Gabriella, and I was so caught up with Celina that I…I joined in." Chanel paused, feeling tears come into her eyes. "She used to hit her a lot, especially when Dad wasn't at home, sometimes when I wasn't at home and that was when it used to be the worst. Eventually I figured out that this was all wrong and tried to stop Celina. But she didn't and she chucked Gabi…she chucked…her…her out." Tears were streaming down Chanel's face as she recalled the night before. "Now I feel terrible, I didn't mean for it to go this far. We don't know where she is and Dad is getting so depressed. I just want my sister back, that's all I want now." Chanel said, she dropped her head into her hands as she cried. The gang looked at her in shock, not able to speak. Sharpay sniffed a little and walked over to Chanel. She knelt down beside her and opened her mouth to speak.

"Do you regret everything? Really regret it?" She asked her voice soft and gentle. Chanel looked up, her eyes were now red and puffy and showed true honesty.

"Yes I do, I regret it all. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you all. You can have everything back as long as I get my sister back, so I can tell her that I'm sorry." Chanel cried again. Sharpay smiled a little and stood up. She faced the gang and wiped away the tears that had made their way down her face.

"She's sorry you guys and we have to believe her. After all this isn't about us, it's about Gabriella." She said. Everyone agreed.

"Well if Gabriella was chucked out last night then wouldn't Troy have seen her?" Chad spoke up. Chanel's head whipped up and they all looked at Chad.

"Carry on…" Chanel said quietly.

"Well it was Tuesday right, and the Bolton's have their traditional late night shopping. I called him while he was there. After that call he didn't reply to any text message. Maybe he found Gabriella, when they reached home." Chad shrugged. He looked at the others for some kind of response.

"We have to find Coach Bolton." Ryan pointed out and the gang plus Chanel ran out of the classroom and off to the gym.

**The Care Home…**

Gabriella sat on the couch with Derek right next to her. She was in the middle of reading a story to him when Troy walked in.

"Brie…" Troy said quietly. Gabriella looked up from her book and smiled; she looked down at Derek and saw that he was fast asleep. She closed the book quietly and placed it on the windowsill gently. She eased out of her place and placed a cushion behind Derek's head. She grabbed a spare blanket and covered his small body with it. She kissed him on the head before tip-toeing over to Troy. They walked out of them room and closed the door gently before walking into another room. The kids were all having a nap and some were just playing up in their rooms. Gabriella took a seat next to Troy on the couch and cuddled up to him. "You okay?" Troy asked her. Gabriella sighed.

"No…" She replied. Troy looked down at her with a sad smile.

"Anything I can do to help?" He asked. Gabriella looked up at him and bit her lip slightly.

"Yeah… this…" She said as she placed her lips on his in a sweet kiss. Troy was surprised but slowly he melted into her touch and deepened the kiss. Gabriella smiled as Troy responded. After a minute they pulled away.

"Anything else?" He asked with a smirk on his face. Gabriella giggled.

"Nope." She said as she cuddled close to him. Troy could feel her wincing as she moved closer.

"Don't hurt yourself." He spoke softly. Gabriella nodded and eased up a little she looked up at Troy and smiled at the concern showing on his face. Troy noticed her looking at him and gave her a grin. "What?" He asked.

"Nothing." She said with a shrug. "Just that you care about me too much." She said resting her head on his shoulder. Troy sighed.

"I can't help it Brie. You mean so much to me." He spoke with true honesty. Gabriella could feel the water forming in her eyes.

"Yeah well you're the only person who feels that way…" She said quietly. Troy looked over at her and his heart just broke. She was crying.

"No Brie…don't, please." He pleaded knowing that if she carried on crying she would get him going too. Gabriella shook her head as her tears fell.

"They don't love me Troy. Dad hates me, Celina hates me, Chanel hates me and I bet even my own mother hated me!" She cried. Troy looked at her with a serious look on his face.

"Gabriella Anne Montez don't you ever say that again. Your Mother loved you so much and it shows just by looking at your pictures with her, the way she talked about you in her diary and the fact that she left her most prized possessions in your care. Just because Celina dislikes you doesn't mean that your Dad and Chanel hate you too. So Brie don't ever say that again." He finished. Gabriella nodded and wiped away her tears.

"Thanks Troy, but it hurts y'no. I mean what happened yesterday was…big." She said staring into space. Troy sighed.

"Brie, tell me?" He asked. Gabriella looked at him, really looked at him. As is if she was trying to see if he was someone she could trust. She knew she trusted him, there was no doubt about that but this was her inner most feelings, the story of her life. But if had to tell someone in the end then it may as well be Troy right?

"Okay." She nodded. "Well you know that Celina hates me and Chanel isn't too fond of me either, so the things they do are out of their dislike-ment for me and yes I do know that I just made that word up." Gabriella said, Troy chuckled, glad that she still had her sense of humor. "Anyway on Monday after we got together and stuff I went home, even thought you didn't want me to and someone surprisingly hit me on my head with something hard." She said pointing to her now purple bruise. Troy lent forward and gave it a little kiss. Gabriella giggled a little. "Thanks, but anyway, stop side tracking me!" She said. Troy shrugged as she sighed. "Okay so I woke up in the morning on the kitchen floor with a huge bruise and an aching body. I remember trying to get up but I couldn't and when I did it was like every bone in my body was damaged. Still I managed to get to the worktop and find a tool to sit on. Then the twosome came and announced that they were the special people who hit me and left me. It was like a hit and run at home now that I think of it. Anyways, Celina was about to hit me again and I backed off and told her not to. She got angry and slapped me. That's when I exploded." Troy could see Gabriella's fist curling up into two small balls. "I told her exactly what I felt. That she had been treating me badly ever since I broke her vase back when I was only ten. After that I earned nothing but abuse from her. When I told her this she had a fit. She blamed me for everything. She said that I was the reason that she had to sacrifice everything that I was the reason she lost the man she loved to another woman. She said that I reminded her of my mother and the pain of losing Dad to my mother. She also said that I was the reason that Chanel wasn't getting what she wanted…" Gabriella stopped, wanting to take a pause. Troy however looked confused.

"What do you have that she wants?" He asked, she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"You." She whispered. Troy just took her in his arms and held her close.

"She just has to deal with it. I'm not letting you go, especially not for her." He whispered in her ear. Gabriella nodded and pulled back.

"I know Troy, I know. I would never ask you to do that anyway, I wouldn't be able to live if I let you go." She said. Troy smiled and placed a sweet gentle kiss on her lips.

"Plus I'll miss those." She said as they broke apart. Troy smirked and nodded.

"Likewise." He said.

"Anyway Troy, she began to hit me, harder than before. Slaps, punches, kicks, the lot and it really hurt. Both physically and emotionally. But she didn't care, Celina never cares. So she let me get hurt and Chanel watched as I landed on the ground. I was in a very bad condition Troy and even if I was a bit out of it then I still knew that I may not make it." Her voice broke a little as she spoke. "Celina walked off looking somewhat pleased with her work. Chanel stayed, well I made her stay. I asked her why and she said because I'm me. That's not a reason, you know that, I know that and she knows that. But she still said it and maybe that's what…what told me to tell her to finish me off." Gabriella looked away from Troy, not wanting to see his reaction. Troy's eyes widened and was completely speechless, what was she thinking when she said that? "I told her not to call me Gabi because only my family and friends call me that but Celina heard. She made it out as if I was ungrateful and hated them, yet they were the ones who hated me. So she kicked me in the stomach…hard. Again and again and again, until she was sure that my stomach and below was completely damaged." She touched her stomach gently as she spoke. "Chanel ran out and before Celina could finish me off, she just ran back in. She told Celina to stop, that she would kill me. At that time Chanel looked like she really cared, but that may have been a disguise. I wouldn't know, anyway Celina decided that throwing me out would be better. So she dragged me, literally dragged me over to the front door and chucked me out into the cold. I could hear Chanel protesting but that wasn't my main problem. The rain and wind hit me hard, making that pain worse. If you hadn't come then I don't know what would've happened." Gabriella finished. Now she was definitely in tears. Her eyes were puffy and red and the tears just kept on coming. Troy held her close as she cried. He was glad that she let it all out verbally but now she needed to let it all out emotionally.

**The Gym…**

Jack picked up the last basketball and placed it in the trolley. Basketball practice was over and Jack was still wondering why three of his players hadn't turned up. He was even more worried when he found out that those three were Jason, Zeke and Chad. He knew that something was going on but what he didn't know was that he was going to find out soon. As he wheeled the trolley over to the bleachers, the gym doors burst open and in ran the gang plus Chanel.

"Coach!" Chad yelled. Jack turned around and his eyes widened as he saw the group running over to him. The gym was filled with sounds of trainers banging and heels clacking.

"Chad, Jason, Zeke why weren't you in practice today?" Jack asked, wanting to pry them away from the subject of Troy.

"That's why we're here Coach." Jason said. Jack nodded.

"Well we skipped practice to question her…" Zeke pointed to Chanel, who waved guiltily. "…About Troy and Gabriella. But she knew nothing, well she knew a lot but nothing about where Gabriella is. We thought that you might know." He said turning back to Jack. Jack looked around at all the teens, the pleading faces they had on and the concerned looks in their eyes. He sighed.

"She's with Troy. I don't know where they are at the moment, but she's with him." He said and walked off, not wanting to get harassed even more.

"So what do we do now?" Ryan asked.

"Well I'm going to call Troy." Sharpay said, pulling out her sparkly pink cell phone.

"I'm going to call my Dad." Chanel said, pulling out her own cell phone. She dialed the first two numbers before the phone was snatched out of her fingers. "Oi!" She said. Taylor gave her a look.

"Chanel I'm just going to make this easy for you. Don't tell. Gabriella has enough problems with you lot and she doesn't need anymore. She's with Troy so she's safe; don't take her away from that. You lot have done so much to her so for once let her have the peace she deserves." Taylor said before handing the phone back to Chanel. She looked out at the people in front of her. They really cared for her sister, just like she should. Chanel let out a small sigh before putting her phone away. Taylor smiled.

"Okay but when you lot go to see her I want to come. Just to say sorry that's all." She said. The gang eyed her before smiling a little.

"Sure." Taylor said. Chanel nodded and looked over at Sharpay who was calling Troy.

"Troy?" Sharpay asked as soon as someone picked up.

"Yeah?" He asked in a gruff voice. Sharpay sighed with relief.

"Where the hell are you?" She asked. Troy sighed on the other end.

"At a place. Why?" He asked. Sharpay sighed.

"Look Troy, we know everything so just cut the crap and tell me where you are!" She yelled into the phone.

"Uh okay…we're at the care home but…" Troy began to say.

"Great see you there." Sharpay spoke over him and then hung up. "Care home, you lot go first and I'll find Jen." She said, going off in a different direction. The gang looked at Chanel before walking out of the gym.

"You coming?" She heard Martha say. She nodded and ran over to them, glad that she was going to see her sister.

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**It Was Long! 6,476 Words! Wow Lol.**

**Anyway Until My Next Update!**

**Peacexoxo**


	16. Some Familiar Faces

**New Chapter! Thanks For All The Review For The Past Few Chapters, They Were Great! I Haven't Updated Best of Both Worlds Yet Because I Want To Finish This Story First, Then I Can Get My Head Around Another One. But Please Check That Out & My One-Shots! So Here Is The Chapter & I'm Sad To Say That I'm Only Planning Four More Chapters! But They'll Be Equally Long!**

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Sharpay ran through the halls of East High looking everywhere for Troy's cousin. She walked past a group of cheerleaders and stopped.

"He is like just so hot!" Andrea Nicholson was talking about her latest man-candy to the rest of the squad. "I mean steel abs, chiseled jaw the lot!" She went on talking about every aspect of his body.

"Sorry to interrupt Andrea but can you stop talking about your latest fling and tell me where I can find Jen?" Sharpay cut the blonde off. Andrea glared at her.

"Just because you can't get a fling anymore you don't have to say crap to me, I mean you just settled for baker boy, and they said you were the Ice Princess." Andrea looked somewhat disappointed at Sharpay. Sharpay on the other hand couldn't care less.

"Listen at least I can handle a steady relationship. All you want to do is rip their clothing off and then abuse their body. I feel sorry for the girls that come after you. Secondly I doubt any of your 'boyfriends' make you special breakfast's, lunches and dinner's on special occasions so if you're calling my Zeke a baker boy then that's exactly what he is. At least he's better at something other then playing games in bed. Thirdly where the hell is Jen?" Sharpay demanded to know. She wasn't in the mood to be toyed with. Andrea narrowed her eyes a little at Sharpay, ready to make a comeback.

"She's in the theater, talking to Ms Darbus about something." One of the other cheerleaders offered to help. Sharpay nodded.

"Thanks Stacey." She thanked her and walked off, her heels clacking on the floor as she made her way over to the theater. She got there in a few seconds and opened the door that led her backstage. She walked in and noticed that nobody was around. "Jen? Ms Darbus?" She called out. As she walked further down the corridor, passing the Evans dressing room, the storage closet and the extra props closet she noticed a single light at the end of the corridor. She walked down the corridor and found herself facing Ms Darbus's office.

"...Miss Cooley I'm very sorry but I cannot let you girls practice here. We have our musicale auditions coming up soon and I'm going to need the whole stage. Sorry but I can't. You may go now." Ms Darbus waved Jen away. The brunette sighed and walked out of the office only to come face to face with Sharpay.

"Hey Pay what's up?" Jen asked her friend.

"You need to come with me. We found Gabriella." Sharpay told Jen. Jen's face erupted in a smile.

"That's brilliant. Where is she then?" She asked. Sharpay explained the whole story to Jen as they walked out of the drama theatre and out of school to meet the rest of the gang and Chanel.

"...So I called up Troy and asked him where they were. He said they were at a place, obviously he was trying to cover up and I'm using the term trying very loosely. Anyway I got him to spill and he said that they were at the care home. So now the gang and Chanel are waiting over there for us." Sharpay pointed to their friends...and Chanel. The two walked over and stopped at the gang.

"Well how are we going to get there?" Kelsi asked. It was quite far away from the school.

"Well I have my car. Five seats, so me, Ryan, Jen, Zeke and Martha can go in the convertible." Sharpay suggested.

"I have my car too. Five seats as well, so that's me, Tay, Jason, Kelsi and Chanel. All of us fit then." Chad spoke up. The rest agreed and began to make their way to their assigned cars. Chad and Jason ran ahead to his car whilst the girls hung back. Sharpay and her lot had already gone to her car.

"So Chanel, how are you going to apologize?" Kelsi asked. Chanel sighed, she hadn't thought of that.

"Well sorry is first and then I'm going to go from there. Just explain everything to her." She looked down as she spoke.

"Everything?" Taylor asked, wanting to know.

"Urm, just everything. For her ears only I guess." Chanel said. Taylor smiled and nodded.

"Don't worry, I have a sister too, and I think I know what you mean." She said closing the topic. Chanel nodded thankful that the subject of her apology had ended. The girls got into Chad's car – Taylor at the front and Kelsi squeezed in between Chanel and Jason – and soon they were off to the care home.

**The Care Home...**

Troy stroked Gabriella's hair softly as he put his phone away. She had her head on his lap and was sleeping; well that's what he thought.

"Troy..." Gabriella spoke quietly; her voice was still down from all the crying. Troy looked down at her, surprised that she was still awake.

"Yeah Brie?" He asked with concern.

"I'm hungry..." She said quietly. Troy let out a chuckle.

"Course you are, let me go see what Sue has for food today." He said as she took her head off his lap. Troy stood up and walked out of the room they were in and into the kitchen.

"Hey Sue." He said as he walked in. Sue turned around; she looked much more alive now compared to before.

"Troy how's Gabriella?" She asked. Troy looked at her in confusion.

"She's fine...why?" He asked as he looked for something for Gabriella to eat.

"I kind of heard her crying earlier. When I came down from putting the kids to bed. I just wanted to know if she's okay. She seems like a nice girl, too nice to have any problems." Sue said as she turned back to her dishes. Troy sighed.

"Yeah she is nice and doesn't deserve to have problems but she does. She's just going through some stuff at the moment." He said as he grabbed some apple juice – Gabriella's favorite. Sue nodded.

"Well I hope everything gets better and I'm glad that you're there for her." Sue turned around again to flash him a smile.

"I'm glad that I'm here for her too." He said with a grin. Troy grabbed his food and then walked out of the kitchen and back to Gabriella. He opened the door and found her staring out of the window.

"Sometimes I feel like she's watching me, that she can hear me..." She spoke, realizing that he was back. Troy carried the snacks over to her and set them down in front of her. He sat down opposite her and waited for her to carry on.

"...But then I get the flashbacks of that night and realize that she's not up there, she's dead in her coffin, buried under the ground." Gabriella spoke harshly. Troy was a little taken aback. Gabriella looked over at him with watery eyes.

"Don't cry Brie." Troy said, knowing that look. Gabriella sighed.

"I can't do anything more and I can't do anything less." She said with another sigh. She reached out and grabbed her apple juice. "Thanks Troy." She said as she took a sip. The taste refreshed and relaxed her mind and body. Apple juice was her favorite ever since her mother made her drink it first.

**Flashback**

Gabriella looked at her clothes in disgust.

"Mommy do I have to wear those?" She asked. Marie looked at her beautiful seven year old and laughed.

"Yes baby. Daddy needs you to look pretty when we go to see his parents." Marie said as she helped Gabriella get into her dress.

"Great, we have to go to the posh place." She said with a roll of her eyes. Marie laughed again.

"Yeah we do, and as much as I hate that place we have to go. For your Daddy. Plus Chanel can't wait. Chanel! Have you done yet honey?" Marie called out to her other daughter. Chanel stepped out of the closet in her pink dress. It was the same as Gabriella's just a different colour. Her brown curly locks were pulled up and into a small bun. She wore a flowery headband across her head, making her look even cuter. "Aw look at my little honey!" Marie said as she went over to Chanel. She gave her a little peck on the cheek.

"Thank you Mommy. I feel like a princess!" Chanel said as she twirled around. Gabriella looked at her sister and sighed. She did look vey pretty. Gabriella looked down at her own lilac dress. Chanel strutted over to her twin.

"Why did you choose lilac? It's too...plain." She said and looked down at her own dress. "Pink stands out." She grinned. Gabriella mirrored her grin.

"Good because I don't want to stand out." She said walking over to her mother. Marie looked down at Gabriella and smiled; she grabbed a couple of hair accessories and began to work on Gabriella's hair.

"Mommy can I have my hair down today?" Gabriella asked. Marie let go of her daughter's hair and it fell around her face, her small curls flying everywhere. Gabriella giggled. "I'll take that as a yes." She said with a grin. Marie smiled and walked out of her daughter's rooms, going to get ready herself. Gabriella skipped over to her shoe rack and picked out some white dolly shoes to go with her dress.

"I can't wait to go to Grandma's." Chanel said as she looked at Gabriella put her shoes on.

"Why?" Gabriella questioned.

"Because they always give us nice gifts and make lovely dinners. Makes me feel all growed up." Chanel answered.

"I don't want to go there. The gifts are nice but exp-exp-expensive and the dinners are too grown up for me. I hate the tea they give us, Darjeeeling." Gabriella stretched out the es for emphasis. Chanel rolled her eyes.

"That's un-grate-ful." Chanel sounded out her words. Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." She said, sticking her tongue out.

"Girls come down!" Julio called from downstairs. Chanel and Gabriella grabbed their tiny purses and ran downstairs, well Gabriella ran and Chanel walked carefully. They met their parents at the bottom of the staircase. Julio was looking handsome in his suite and Marie was fiddling with his tie. She turned around and gave her girls a smile. She looked breathtaking in her black chain front jersey dress. It was casual yet classy. Marie turned back around and her soft curls bounced. Gabriella beamed up at her mother.

"Let's go then girls." Julio said kissing each one of his angel's on the head. The twins laughed, Chanel grabbed her father's hand and Gabriella grabbed her mother's hand. They got out of the house and went into the car. After spending 10 minutes going around the wealthy part of San Francisco they arrived at Julio's parent's home. The four stepped out of the car and walked over to the house. Julio rang the doorbell and they waited.

"Their not home lets escape now." Gabriella whispered to Chanel who just giggled in response. Just then – to Gabriella's dismay – the door opened and a man who looked like Julio opened the door.

"Pa!" Julio said as he shook his father's hand. Ricardo Montez stepped to a side so that his son's family could get through. He led them into the lounge and motioned for them to sit down. Gabriella looked out at the huge house. The walls were covered with paintings and the staircase seemed to go on forever. Chanel on the other hand looked around in amazement and excitement, it was her dream house. They sat down on the couch and waited for Julio's mother to arrive.

"So Julio how's business?" Ricardo asked. Julio looked down at his hands, Marie looked uncomfortable and the girls just looked at their parents.

"Well I've, urm, moved on from the firm and I'm going onto a new business." Julio said, it sounded like he was trying to convince himself as well as his father. Ricardo gave his son a knowing look.

"You've 'moved on' haven't you?" He asked putting air quotes around the 'moved on' part. Julio looked down in shame and Gabriella felt sorry for her father.

"He's already got a new job." Gabriella spoke up. Gabriella's parents and Ricardo turned to look at her.

"Really?" Ricardo asked with a raised eyebrow. "And what job is this?" He asked the little girl.

"He's...urm..." Gabriella tried to think.

"He's going to be helping Zac on his new project." Marie spoke up. Julio turned to her and thanked her with a smile.

"Zac how is he?" Ricardo asked with a smile on his face. Julio's parents adored Zac; he was the son they never had.

"Fine, he's going to come down to discuss the details with Julio in a week or so." Marie went on to say. Ricardo was about to say more but Julio's mother burst into the room. Jeanette Montez was a very posh lady. She eyed up Marie as she walked in.

"Marie, you look...thinner." She said with a smile. Marie thanked her and smiled, that was a compliment coming from Jeanette.

"Julio, Chanel and Gabriella. Nice to see you all. Dinner is ready." Jeanette said. Like any old fashioned couple they liked to have dinner with the whole family and they liked to discuss things at the table. The six made their way into the huge dining room and sat down at the table. Julio and Ricardo sat at either ends of the table. Marie, Chanel and Gabriella sat on one side and Jeanette sat on the other. The food was already laid out so the family began to tuck in.

"Darjeeling tea!" Chanel whispered excitedly. Gabriella rolled her eyes, the food was lovely but they expected her to wash it down with tea? Gabriella looked over at Marie who already saw Gabriella's reaction. 'Wait' she mouthed to her. Gabriella nodded.

"May I be excused? Gabriella needs her medicine." Marie said getting up from her seat. She gave Julio a smile and he gave her a knowing look. He too knew about Gabriella's issue with Darjeeling tea, he hated it himself but he had to drink it. Marie got up and took Gabriella's cup with her. Gabriella just stared at her plate, not wanting to eat anymore. Five minutes later Marie came back, she placed the cup in front of Gabriella and gave her a small wink. Gabriella peered into the cup, it looked the same. She looked at her mother who in return gave her a small smile. Gabriella knew that her mother had done something. She put the cup to her lips and took a sip of the 'tea'. As the drink went down her throat she sighed with relief. It was both refreshing and relaxing. She looked over at Marie. 'Apple juice' Marie mouthed to her daughter. Gabriella nodded and took another sip; she knew that as of now her favourite drink would be apple juice.

**End Flashback**

Gabriella could feel the tears running down her face as she thought about her mother. Troy sighed, having tears of his own, and lent forward to wipe her tears away with the pad of his thumb. Gabriella smiled at his touch.

"Thanks..." She said. Troy looked at her and she looked into his soulful eyes, they showed truth, sincerity, concern, hope and love all for her. She knew that he was going to be there for her forever. She didn't know how but she knew that he just would be there. Just then the doorbell rang. The two heard Sue go and answer it. After a few moments the gang plus Chanel walked in.

"What are you guys doing here?" Troy asked, forgetting about the phone call earlier.

"To see Gabi." Taylor said as she rushed towards her friend. "Hey hon." She said as she pulled her best friend into a hug.

"Hey Tay, what's with the hugging?" She asked, she liked it but there had to be a reason. Taylor pulled back.

"Gabs, we know." She said. Gabriella looked at her.

"K-Know what?" She asked fearing the worst.

"Everything. All of it." Taylor said. Gabriella looked around at her friends, not spotting Chanel, and then looked at Troy.

"T-They know. Troy..." She said. Troy just pulled her over to him and set him in her lap.

"It's okay; they're your friends Brie. They'll help, they're here for you. They love you." He spoke softly. Gabriella sniffed and looked at them. She saw concern on all of their faces.

"I love them all too." She said quietly.

"We're sorry Gabs." Chad said he looked down at his little sister, with all her bruises and cuts, her face pale and dead. The anger building up inside of him. "I just wish I could do something" He said with curled fists. Gabriella sighed.

"I wish I could do something too Chad, but they're my family and I love them, even though they don't love me." Gabriella looked down in sorrow. Chad's heart went out to her.

"Gabs they do love you." Zeke spoke up.

"Yeah your father was out all night looking for you; he came back as a wreck. He's missing you so much." Ryan added.

"How do you know?" Gabriella asked.

"Chanel told us..." Martha said quietly. Gabriella's eyes widened.

"Wha-What?" She asked.

"Yeah she told us and she's here to tell you how sorry she is." Sharpay stepped back to reveal Chanel. Gabriella looked at her sister. Troy hardened and tightened his grip around Gabriella. Chanel walked up to them.

"What do you want?" Troy spoke up first; he couldn't believe that she had the nerve to come to them after what she had done. Chanel looked at him and saw the hatred in his eyes, pure hatred. She would've broken down crying but she was here for her sister.

"He's right..." Gabriella said softly.

"I just wanted to apologize..." Chanel started to say. Gabriella found her strength and looked at her hard.

"Apologize for what? For making my life a living hell? For writing my death wish? For kicking me out of my home? For leaving me all bruised and battered in the freezing rain? For saying that no one loves me? For saying that I'm a fucking waste of space." Gabriella spat. Everyone was shocked. Gabriella never swore, never.

"Yes..." Chanel said quietly, not knowing what to say after her twin's outburst.

"Yes? Yes? Is that all you can say?" Gabriella yelled. She tried to get off Troy's lap but he held on tight. "You put me through hell and worse and all you can say is yes! You terrorized my friends! You kicked Sharpay out of the drama club knowing that it would get to me. You made Taylor hate me. You made Martha hate me and dance; you even knew that she loved it to bits but you still did what you did. You can't just prance into the care home, a place where people actually give a damn about people, and then just say sorry like it'll change everything. It won't. None of it will save me from my nightmares, my scars and all those wonderful memories of being put in hell! What I'm saying here is for you to piss off." Gabriella spoke those last few words and then turned in Troy's arms, signaling that she didn't want to talk. Troy looked at Chanel.

"You heard her." He said coldly, he had seen what happened with Gabriella and sometimes he got nightmares just thinking about it. Even if Gabriella had forgiven Chanel, Troy knew that he could never forgive her himself.

"Look Gabs, you are kind of being unreasonable..." Taylor began to say. Troy looked at her.

"Unreasonable? Tay what are you talking about?" He asked her. Taylor looked over at Chanel who had tears rolling down her face.

"She regrets everything Troy; she's turned over a new leaf. She's apologized to everyone. She even had the guts to come here to apologise to Gab. But you two won't listen and see that." Taylor said hoping that her explanation would get them to reconsider. Gabriella just stared into space, shocked by her best friend's words. Troy on the other hand became angry.

"Okay she did have the guts to apologize and she does regret it all but that doesn't make everything right Taylor. Gabriella has years of getting beaten up and left to think she was alone and I don't think that a sorry can fix all of that, no matter how much Chanel had changed. If you think that Chanel is the one in the right then you can just leave right now, because Gabriella needs friends right now."He said looking away from Taylor. Taylor got up and walked towards the pair.

"Look I didn't mean it like that. I just want you two to get over everything and become sisters again or even just friends." Taylor said. Troy looked at her and just sighed.

"Well that's not going to happen soon. Gabriella needs some time to 'get over everything' as you put it." He spoke seriously. Taylor nodded and looked over at Chanel with an apologetic look on her face. She walked over to her and took her out of the room.

"Now I've lost my best girl friend to my sister. I wonder what it'll be next." Gabriella spoke looking up at Troy.

"Don't even think that I would leave you Brie." He said kissing her cheek. The gang smiled at their cuteness.

"I'm so glad you two are together and Gabs you look great in my clothes." Jen said noticing her clothes on Gabriella.

"Sorry about that, my other clothes were..." Gabriella looked down.

"...Ruined, but Mom said she'll wash the blood out for you." Troy said. Chad looked down at his little sister with concern.

"Blood?" He asked making sure he heard right.

"Well I'm sure that my heart doesn't pump orange juice so yes that would be blood." Gabriella said half-jokingly. Chad just gave her a half-smile.

"Well you don't need to worry about that outfit because I'm going to take you shopping for a whole new wardrobe!" Sharpay added in, trying to lighten up the mood. Gabriella smiled for the fist time since the gang got there.

"Thanks Shar but I don't need them..." Gabriella started to say.

"But nothing! You are going to get new clothes, my treat!" Sharpay said, she wasn't suggesting it she was stating it. Gabriella nodded, knowing that arguing further would just be useless.

"And I am going to go cook you my double chocolate chip cookies, your all time favorite." Zeke said smiling at her. Troy's face lit up.

"Can I have one too?" He asked. Zeke laughed.

"If Gabi doesn't mind." He said. Troy looked at Gabriella with a pout; she let out a soft giggle.

"Gabi doesn't mind." She said.

"I'm going to buy you that new book you wanted, it was going to be your birthday present but I think that I should give it to you now." Jason said. Gabriella nodded and smiled at his kindness.

"Oh Jase, that's really sweet of you!" She said. Jason smiled.

"I'm just that kind of guy." He said. Gabriella smiled as he pulled her up into a hug. Troy pretended to be offended.

"Get your own girl!" He said pulling Gabriella back down. The gang laughed at his behavior.

"Calm down Bolton, we just want to show our girl here that she's appreciated!" Sharpay said pulling Gabriella out of Troy's grasp and into a big hug. Gabriella smiled as she hugged her shopping buddy. After Sharpay Chad came to hug his sister.

"I'll talk to Tay." He whispered. Gabriella nodded as he let go and walked out. After him Zeke came forward to give her a hug, he smelled like freshly baked cookies.

"You smell nice." She said, her stomach rumbled.

"You don't sound nice." Zeke said pointing at her stomach. Gabriella laughed and took a bite out of the sandwich that Troy had handed her. She looked at her friends and smiled a little, at least some people cared for her.

**With Taylor, Chanel and Chad...**

"I know that I put her through a lot but she could've just forgiven me. We could've started all over again." Chanel said as she walked with Taylor.

"Look Chanel, she's really hurt and she looks so down. Normally she's quite perky and loving life but now she looks like she just wants to get out of it." Taylor spoke honestly. Chanel looked up.

"I hate to see her like that..." She began to say.

"How can you say that when you're the one who hurt her first?" The two girls looked around to see Chad.

"Chad don't." Taylor said.

"Don't what Tay?" Chad asked. Taylor gave him a look.

"You know what I mean." She said.

"Look I know that you want them to become close again but it's not going to work by her just saying sorry, It's not that simple. Like they've told you around hundred times, she's scarred for life with all of this stuff. It'll take her time to even think of forgiving you. If I were in her place, I would have done the same thing. Actually I would have slapped you, just to make you feel what I felt. But then again, Gabriella has a bigger heart than me. Maybe that's why she didn't run away when she had the chance. Maybe she thought that you would come to your senses. But I guess she was wrong and just cared too much whilst you cared less." Chad said. The two girls looked at Chad, shocked with the words that came out of his mouth.

"I thought you said he was a bit dopey?" Chanel asked Taylor. Chad looked at his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah I can be deep and I can also say that Gabs thinks that she's lost her best friend, again. And she's not too happy about it. Now she's starting to think that she'll lose Troy too, the only person who has stayed by her through all of this." Chad said and turned to walk away.

"Chad I'm not leaving her as her best friend, I just think that Chanel deserves a friend right now." Taylor said.

"Well from where I'm standing it looks like you're favoring the girl who messed up your friendship with Gabriella from the start over the girl who values you a lot in her life." Chad spoke before leaving the two. Taylor looked down, confused about what she was meant to do right now.

**With Julio...**

It was completely useless, Julio had looked everywhere and there was no sign of his daughter. He began to feel so helpless now, how would he be able to go home and face Chanel and Celina knowing that they all helped get rid of her? Julio sat in his car, not wanting to put the car in drive and go home. He remembered back to the good times.

**Flashback **

Julio turned over on his side and groaned; his alarm clock had just gone off a couple of minutes ago. He touched the other side of the king-sized bed and wondered why it was empty. He opened his eyes expecting to see his beauty but then found nothing but air. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, he let out a large yawn before getting out and padding over to the en suite bathroom. Just as he went into the bathroom, Marie stepped into the bedroom.

"Julio?" She asked as she walked in. She looked around the room and saw no sign of her husband. She walked over to the bathroom and heard the shower running; she let a small smile appear on her face and then went up to the bed. She made the bed knowing that Julio would never get around to doing it, and then she walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains, letting the sun shine into the room filling each corner with light. Marie looked around the room with satisfaction and then walked out. Just as she walked out, Julio walked in (what a coincidence! Lol) he saw that the bed had been made and that the curtains had been pulled back, it was definitely the work of his wife. Julio smiled as he got dressed and then went to his study to sort out some papers. As he sat down on his swirly chair he heard a couple of stomps and thuds. Julio turned around just as the door to his study burst open.

"Daddy!" Gabriella shouted as she ran in, her sister following her. Julio smiled at his girls; they were both 6-years-old now and ready to go to school. That's when Julio realized it; it was the girls first day of school! He looked at his two girls both dressed in different styles. Julio frowned.

"Why aren't you girls wearing matching clothes?" He asked, he didn't really mind but he thought it was cute. Gabriella and Chanel looked at each other; their mother had told them that Daddy was going to ask some silly questions today.

"We want to look diff-rent." Chanel said sounding out her last word; she copied exactly what her mother told her. Julio looked at his two girls. Gabriella was wearing dungarees whereas Chanel was wearing a little dress. You could just tell that they differed a lot.

"But I liked it when you looked the same." Julio said, he sounded like he was five. Gabriella giggled at her father's behaviour.

"Daddy! We want them to call us Gabi and Chan. Not the twins or clones." Gabriella told Julio. Julio looked impressed with her answer.

"That was a good answer for a six year old." He said, ruffling the top of her hair. Gabriella smiled, showing off her perfect teeth, what Julio didn't know was that Marie had told Gabriella that line just moments before. Julio looked at his two girls. "Well have you eaten yet?" He asked them.

"Nope." Chanel said as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. Julio sighed and took Gabriella by his right hand and Chanel by the left.

"Let's go see what Mom is up to." He said as he led them out of his study. Gabriella closed his door with her free hand and smiled up at her Dad, he always told them to close the door and now he didn't even have to ask. Julio grinned as he led the twins down the stairs. Chanel stepped down carefully, not wanting to hurt herself or damage her dress. Gabriella, on the other hand, jumped down the steps wanting to see how further she could get. "Careful Bels." Julio told his daughter. Gabriella smiled up at her nickname and then began to walk down carefully. They met Marie in the kitchen, she was busy making...

"Pancakes!" Gabriella cried and then ran over to Marie. She took a huge whiff of the great smell and then went to grab a stool. She put it in front of one of the drawers and pulled out some syrup. She licked her lips as she went towards the table. Julio and Chanel were already seated and waiting for their breakfast. Julio was banging his fork and knife on the table demanding for food and making Gabriella laugh. Chanel was busy opening her napkin, placing it somewhere and then starting all over again.

"We want food! WE WANT PANCAKES!" Gabriella and Julio yelled. Chanel joined in at the end, finally finding a place for her napkin. Marie laughed and set a plate of pancakes in front of Julio.

"That's not fair!" Chanel said as she watched her father chomp on the pancakes.

"Yeah! We asked first!" Gabriella complained, she looked over at Julio and saw him licking his lips. Gabriella let a giggle escape her lips. Julio made an 'mmm' sound and smiled evilly at his girls. Marie smacked him across the head and then kissed it. Gabriella and Chanel looked at each other and made faces.

_20 Minutes Later..._

The Montez family were walking down the pathway hand in hand. Chanel was holding onto Marie's hand, Marie was holding onto Julio's hand and Julio was holding onto Gabriella's hand. They walked down the street with smiles plastered on their faces. People passing by smiled at them and some even said hi. Gabriella and Chanel swung their free arms at the same pace. They looked at each other and burst into giggles.

"Love it when they do that." Julio spoke to Marie; in return she let out her own giggle. "Also love it when you do that." He added. Marie gave him a look and then looked down at her silent daughter's.

"What's wrong?" She asked as they stopped. Gabriella and Chanel both pointed to the building in front of them. Julio and Marie looked up, they were at the school. The two girls screamed and pulled their parents towards the building. Julio and Marie ran along laughing as they went. They reached 

the entrance and stopped. Gabriella and Chanel gripped their parent's hands tightly as the doors opened and the four walked in.

"Wow" Both girls exclaimed as they saw the school. Marie and Julio smiled down at their girls.

"Hello, I'm Miss Cherry." A woman with blonde hair and a huge smile walked up to them. "And who are you?" She asked the twins.

"Gabriella Anne Montez." Gabriella said her name.

"Chanel Amelia Montez." Chanel copied Gabriella. Miss Cherry smiled at them both and then looked up at their parents.

"Well Mr and Mrs Montez thank you for dropping the girls off, I'll give you time to say goodbye then...hello there!" Miss Cherry walked off to greet another family. Gabriella and Chanel looked up at their parents.

"I guess this is it." Marie said, tearing up a bit. "My girls are growing up so fast." She said bending down to hug them. Julio ruffled their hair and gave them kisses on their foreheads.

"Be good." He said before walking off with Marie. They stopped at the entrance and watched their two girls run off into the classroom. Both knew that they would be fine.

**End Flashback**

Julio sighed, that was a very memorable day. One he didn't want to forget and one that he wished that he could go back to. That was the day that everything started to go wrong for Julio. He was faced with a number of problems.

**Flashback**

"Babe, I'm going out to the supermarket for a bit, I want to get some things to make Gabs and Chan something special for when they get back." Marie said as she fastened up the buttons on her coat and adjusted her hat a little. She gave Julio a peck on the lips before grabbing her keys from the table and her purse from the couch. She opened the front door and left. Julio sighed as he sat in silence. It had never been like this before. Usually when Marie left for the supermarket she took one of the girls and one always stayed back with Julio. They had a rota as well, one week Gabriella would go and the other week Chanel would go. Whenever Gabriella stayed home, the two watched basketball games and also played a little in their backyard. Whenever Chanel stayed home the two always played pretend games, Julio always pretended to be her slave and it always made her laugh. Now there was nothing but silence. He looked around the room and took in his surroundings. They had been living in this house after his parents decided that Julio and Marie needed to be more independent. Plus the twins were getting older and they needed a new place, better than that old one bedroom flat. Julio smiled as he looked over all the picture frames that lay above the fireplace and various pictures were hung up on the walls. He saw his wedding picture, the twins first picture and then how the got to 6 from then on. Julio let himself laugh a little, did all fathers reflect on their lives after their child or children went to their first day of school. He went and switched the TV on and began to watch a random basketball game that was on.

10 minutes into the game, Julio was surrounded by packets of cheesy puffs. He was a growing man. Just as he reached for another packet, he heard the doorbell ring. His brow furrowed in confusion. Marie had a house key so she would just let herself in, then maybe it wasn't Marie. The light bulb went off in Julio's head and he kicked himself for thinking so stupidly. He walked into the hall and over to the front door, he could make out a female, just from looking out of the not so opaque glass. He opened the door and came face to face with a mass of glossy jet black hair.

"Yes?" He asked. The woman turned around and he came face to face with those sparkling green orbs that he left six years ago.

"Hey Julio." She spoke in her husky tone. Julio closed his eyes and sighed.

"Celina. What are you doing here?" He asked. She gave him an innocent look.

"Can't I come to visit you and your amazing _family_?" She said with a hint of bitterness in her voice. Julio sighed.

"No you can't, not without a reason and that reason is...?" Julio asked. Celina sighed.

"Well the reason will be shared when you let me in. God, has that wife of yours ever taught you proper manners." She said as she pushed past him and walked into the house.

"Apparently you haven't learned any either." Julio said as he closed the door and followed Celina back into the living room. As he walked in, he saw Celina clearing up his mess. "Celina, what are you doing?" He asked. Celina looked up at him.

"Cleaning up after you." She said in a 'duh' tone. Julio sighed and pried her away from the mess. He pushed her down onto the couch and then began to clear up the mess himself.

"You're a _guest_ Celina. You don't have to clear up after me." Julio spoke, emphasizing on the word guest. He hoped that Celina got the message.

"Why can't you call me Ce? Like before." She asked. Julio sighed, she wasn't getting the message.

"Because I can't. Calling you by that nickname would just make me feel as if I'm back in the past again. And I don't want to be there anymore Celina. I have a family to look after now." He spoke a little harsh but he had to get his message across. He didn't want to do anything that would upset Marie and his girls. Celina sat in silence for a moment, taking in the fact that her plan to get him back hadn't gone as she planned; she looked around the room at the pictures.

"So twins? And they're girls as well. Cute." Celina said as she looked over at the most recent picture of the girls. "Where are they now?" She asked, looking around for the girls.

"School, it's their first day. Marie and I dropped them off in the morning and they're due back in two hours." Julio said smiling. He completely forgot that he was talking to his ex as he was on about his family. Celina scowled a little.

"That's great. So where's Cinderella right now?" Celina asked referring to Marie. Julio sighed, and rolled his eyes before answering.

"She went to the supermarket to get some food for the girl's after-school dinner she's great in that way..." Julio was talking but he got cut off as Celina lips smashed onto his. Julio tried to resist the urge to kiss back and tried to pull her off but Celina was determined to bring back his feeling's for her. Julio fought with himself on the inside, should he? He asked himself. He smiled as Celina deepened the kiss and then noticed that it felt so right. Just as the made their way to the couch, the front door opened and they sprung apart. Julio looked at Celina, and then remembered what they had just done. He knew that it was wrong.

"Hey babe..." Marie stopped as she saw the two. Julio was sitting down on the couch and Celina was sitting opposite him on the other couch.

"Hey hon." He said, smiling at her. In return Marie gave him her dazzling smile, the one that made his heart flip and the one that made guilt rush through every ounce of his body.

"Who's this?" Marie asked uncertainly and looked over at Celina. Julio looked over at his ex as well and noticed that she was smirking.

"This is Celina, she's an old friend." He replied, choosing his words carefully. He looked over at his 'old friend' and shot her a glare. One that he hoped told her to back off.

"Oh well then, it's nice to meet you Celina." Marie said, extending her hand for the green eyed beauty to shake. Celina shook her hand politely and pushed away all the thoughts of beating her up there and then. Marie let go and then went to sit down next to Julio. "I have a surprise for you!" She said. Julio raised his eyebrows.

"What kind of surprise?" He asked. Marie smiled and stood up, she walked over to the door and ushered for someone to come in. Julio and Celina looked in curiosity.

"What up man?" Zac asked as he stepped into the room. Julio's face erupted into a smile as he went to hug his best friend/brother from another mother (lol).

"Man what are you doing here?" He asked. Zac smiled as he went to sit down, he didn't realize that Celina was there.

"Well I didn't want to miss my god children's first day of school. Plus Marie is cooking and you know that I love her cooking!" He said smiling up at his 'sister'. That's when he noticed Celina behind her. His face changed from a smile to a scowl and he looked over at Julio.

"Hey babe, could you go make some tea?" Julio asked. Marie nodded.

"With cake!" She said as she walked out of the room happily. As soon as she went, Zac looked at the two.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked Celina. He didn't want anyone to mess things up for Marie, she was liked his little sister and he would even stop talking to Julio, just for her.

"Visiting my old friend what else?" Celina spat back with attitude. Zac turned to look at his friend.

"You'd better not do anything to hurt Marie. Or I'll hurt you." He threatened. Julio nodded; he wasn't planning on doing anything. Celina on the other hand was planning a lot. Just then Marie 

walked back into the room and everything seemed to calm down. Throughout the rest of the conversation Julio felt torn. What was he going to do now?

**End Flashback**

What he did was betray Marie. After that day Celina had always come when Marie was out, she had even scored a job at his workplace. That made it harder for Julio. So they started to see each other, behind Marie's back. Julio kept on thinking that it was wrong but he couldn't find the strength to tell Celina to back off. It was just like old times. So they dated for months and Julio began to ignore Marie and ignore his girls. Celina kept on coming around more often. Too often and that was how Marie caught them, in her bedroom, on her bed. It was a day that he couldn't forget. Marie didn't speak to him for days; she kept herself busy with work and the girls. They were growing up fast as well. Since Celina had been around a lot, the girls got used to her. Well Chanel did. Gabriella always hated her; she knew that something was fishy about the woman. So Chanel always went to Celina instead of her own mother. Marie got even more depressed. She was so depressed that she quit dancing and spent a lot of time in her room. Julio and Celina got more intense and now the girls knew about his affair as well. Gabriella had stopped talking to him and the worst thing was that Zac was due to visit. That day Marie had tried to perk up but Zac caught on and when he saw Celina burst in he knew everything. It was kind of obvious because Marie burst out crying. That day Zac left, he wanted to take Marie and the girls but she didn't want to go. And that very night, whilst he was out with Celina, she committed suicide. Gabriella was the first to find out and she contacted Zac, an ambulance, the police, the neighbours, Chanel and then Julio. It was the saddest day of their life. Zac was furious; he took the girls away for a while and then had to return them. After that there was no word from him. Julio sighed as he remembered all of this. He put the car in drive and made his way home. Life was just too complicated.

**Care Home...**

The gang had one home and Gabriella and Troy were left. They were playing with the kids and talking about the couple that was due to come to look for a foster child.

"So who do you think they'll take?" Troy asked. Gabriella looked around.

"Derek for sure. I mean if they don't take him, I will." She smiled at the little boy. Troy pretended to look hurt.

"Great now I've lost my girl to a little boy. I mean he doesn't even shave yet!" Troy exclaimed. Gabriella laughed.

"You're too over dramatic." She said. Just then the door opened and two people walked in led by Sue. They looked around the room and cast their eyes on Gabriella and Troy. Gabriella looked at the man and he looked back, there was something familiar about them.

"So Mr Efron, talk to the kids and get to know them." Sue said. She looked over at Gabriella and Troy and motioned for them to come over. "This is Troy Bolton and this is Gabriella Montez..." Sue started to say. The man's eyes widened and he looked at the woman in shock. She had the same expression on her face.

"Gabriella Montez? Daughter of Julio and Marie Montez?" He asked her. Gabriella's heart began to beat fast.

"Yeah why?" She asked, holding onto Troy's hand tightly. The man jumped up and down with joy.

"I can't believe it! After all these years! I've found you! Vanessa we've found them!" He picked up his wife and twirled her around.

"Who are you?" Gabriella asked he seemed so familiar.

"Just call me Uncle Zac!" Gabriella's eyes widened and she jumped into his arms.

"Uncle Zac, oh my God. It's so great to see you again." She said as she hugged him, her tears were now falling. Zac pulled her away and looked at her.

"What's up El?" He asked. Gabriella smiled at his old nickname for her. Zac looked at Gabriella closely; she looked just like Marie but with bruises. "Where did you get those from?" He asked with concern. He looked over at Troy who put his hands up in surrender.

"Not me, I couldn't do that to her. Plus it's not my place to tell you what happened." Troy said as Gabriella slid her hand into his.

"Uncle Zac, this is Troy, my boyfriend. He didn't give me them, he cares about me too much. In fact he helped me through my rough time." Gabriella said. Zac nodded and then looked over at his wife.

"Oh Gabriella, Troy this is Vanessa, my wife." Vanessa extended her hand and Gabriella shook it.

"You look a lot like my mother." Gabriella said as she stared at Vanessa.

"That's because I'm her cousin, and it's so great to finally meet my niece after so long." Vanessa said as she hugged Gabriella. "But who gave you those bruises?" She asked with a lot of concern. Gabriella and Troy looked at each other.

"You know what Sue; we'll come back another day. I think we need to catch up here." Zac said as Sue led the four out.

"No problem." Sue said as she closed the door. Gabriella and Troy followed Zac to his car. They sat inside and then watched as Zac put his foot onto the pedal and drove. Gabriella rested on Troy as they watched the houses go by, thinking about what would happen next.

* * *

**Oh My God! 16 Pages, 8,178 Words. That's A Lot! I Hoped You Liked It & I'll Try & Update Sooner. I Can't Promise Anything Though! I Have Exams & They Always Come Before FanFiction (Sorry To Say). Anyway Hope You Enjoyed It & Can't Wait To Read Your Reviews!**

**Until Next Update**

**Peace **


	17. Memories You Can't Forget

**Yay I Updated! This Is Extra Long 25 Pages 13,099 Words! Wow I Was On A Role! Anyway Thanks To Those Who Have Reviewed So Far & Enjoy.**

**By The Way Next Update May Be Late But That's Because I Have Exams So Hope Y'All Can Wait**

* * *

Taylor sat up in her bedroom. She held a book in her hands, wanting to read it but not bothering to open it. Taylor had walked Chanel to her house and then decided to make her way home herself. Going back to the care home would be useless. She had already messed up her friendship with Gabriella so there was no reason in going back. Taylor sighed as she flung the book onto the other side of her bed. She let herself fall back and stare up at the ceiling.

"Taylor, phone." Taylor looked to her door to find Nika standing there with the house phone in her hand and Taylor's shoes in the other. Taylor jumped off her bed and walked over to her sister. She gripped her Mary-Jane's and the phone and slammed the door in her sister's face. She heard a faint 'oof' from the other side and smiled triumphantly. Taylor sighed and put the phone to her ear.

"Hey Tay." She recognised the voice instantly.

"Hey Jason, are you calling to shout at me as well?" She asked. Previously Sharpay, Kelsi, Martha, Ryan and even Zeke called up to shout and give her 'advice'. Advice meaning chuck Chanel and say sorry to Gabriella.

"No I'm not." Jason said, letting out a chuckle. "Chad called me to call you to ask how you're doing." Jason sighed as he finished his sentence. Taylor frowned.

"Why did he call you to call me to ask if I was okay? I mean couldn't he have called me himself?" She asked, not liking the fact that Chad had asked Jason to call her and tell her that...well you know it by now.

"Yeah he would've but he got his phone taken off him by his Dad, you know for leaving school. Coach told Mr D that he had to go deal with stuff but you know Mr D." Jason said as-a-matter-of-factly. "I was there at his house when it happened so he asked me to call you. So how are you?" Jason asked, going back to his previous question. Taylor sighed.

"Not too good." She replied.

"I can tell. So what happened with you at the care home?" Jason moved onto the real subject of the phone call. Taylor let out another sigh; she seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Look Jase, please don't shout at me. The others have already done that. I mean even Zeke yelled at me!" Taylor exclaimed. Jason was a little bit shocked, Zeke never yelled.

"Look Tay, I'm not calling to shout at you, as you said the gang has already done that. I'm just here to listen to your reason, without blowing up at you." He told her. Taylor nodded; she couldn't believe that she was having this conversation with Jason, her dopey friend.

"I don't know what I was doing Jase. Chanel was just so sad. I mean I have a sister as well and I can totally relate to her." Taylor began to say.

"Yeah but Tay, did your sister help beat you up?" Jason asked. Taylor bit her lip.

"No, but she regrets it." Taylor added. Jason sighed, she wasn't getting it.

"Yeah she regrets it, I get it. But Tay put yourself in Gabriella's shoes. You've already seen it from Chanel's point of view now think of it from Gabriella's point of view." Jason advised. Taylor was shocked.

"When did you become smart?" She asked sarcastically. Jason laughed on the other end.

"When I read my first Sherlock Holmes book. Now think about what I said." He commented and then hung up. Taylor said goodbye and hung up as well. '_Put yourself in Gabriella's shoes'_ Jason's words echoed through her mind. Taylor lay down on her bed and closed her eyes; this was going to take a long time.

**10 Minutes Later...**

Taylor had tears running down her face. She picked up her cell phone and dialled in Jason's number. She waited for it to ring and after three rings Jason picked up.

"Hey." He spoke.

"Hey Jase." Taylor greeted him. Jason could tell that she had been crying.

"Wow you really thought it over." He said to her as he heard her sniffing.

"Yeah well you asked me to put myself in her shoes and I did. God she must hate me right now." Taylor admitted. Jason shook his head even though he knew Taylor couldn't see him.

"No she doesn't. She still loves you Tay, you're like her sister and you're still her best friend. She's just upset that's all." He said. Taylor nodded.

"Okay but I know what I need to do right now." She said.

"Okay then, good luck." Jason said as both of them hung up. Taylor got up and looked outside the window. It was raining.

"Perfect weather for a day like this." She mumbled as she grabbed her boots and coat. She zipped and buttoned up and then ran out of the house with an umbrella in her hands. She opened up the umbrella and put it over her head, blocking out the rain. Taylor ran down the street not caring that she was tired; she just needed to do this. She reached her destination and looked at the two houses next to each other. She smiled for a moment.

"They were so meant to be." She said as she made her way up to one of the houses. She opened the front gate and walked through the front garden up to the front door. She stopped, her hand right next to the doorbell, thinking about whether she should ring it or not. She looked down for a moment and saw drippings of blood. Her best friend's blood and without a second thought she pressed the doorbell. She stood back and waited for the door to open. She could hear footsteps and someone rushing to open the door. Taylor stepped forward and the door flung open in her face, she jumped back from shock.

"Gabriella?" Julio called out desperately. He looked around and then his eyes settled on Taylor. She could see the disappointment on his face. "Sorry but we're not buying what you're selling." He said dejectedly. He made a move to close the door but Taylor shoved her foot inside. Julio stared at her. "I said..." He began to say.

"Yeah I heard but I'm not here to sell anything. I mean do I look old enough to do that?" Taylor asked. Julio looked at her and sighed.

"What is it then?" He asked. Taylor sighed.

"Well don't you invite your guests in or do you just talk to them outside?" Taylor asked. She couldn't help being a little, sorry a lot, rude but Julio was not listening. Right now he was looking at her with a dazed expression. Taylor smiled sweetly as he stepped back and let her into the Montez household. Taylor stepped into the hallway and looked around, it was really plain. At her house there were old, embarrassing, pictures of herself and Nika when they were smaller. There were family photos and photos of friends. Over here the walls were plain, just plain cream. Taylor shivered a little as she followed Julio through the hallway. He opened a white painted door and led her into the living room. Taylor stepped inside and saw that Chanel and another woman, obviously it was Celina, were already seated.

"Taylor?" Chanel said as she stood up. Taylor nodded and walked in. Chanel patted the empty space beside her and Taylor took the seat. Julio came and sat down. Taylor noticed that he sat far away from Celina and also far away from Chanel as well.

"So what is it?" Julio asked her. Taylor looked up and scanned the room. There were some pictures placed on the walls. But none of them contained Gabriella.

"Why isn't Gabriella in any of those pictures?" Taylor asked, pointing to all the pictures. Julio frowned and looked around. He was even more upset when he realised that she was right. None of the Montez family spoke. "Wow I guess she was right." Taylor began to say. The Montez family looked at her. "Her life is hell. I mean what parents only put one of their daughter's pictures up? My parents insist on putting both mine and my sister's pictures up everywhere! When Gabs said that you put her in hell I could never imagine this." Taylor spoke sternly. Sure it was a small thing but the little things count. The four sat in silence for a moment.

"I know where she is..." Chanel said. Taylor gave her a glare. Chanel shrugged. "I have to tell my Dad. Tay, he was going crazy just trying to find her." Chanel tried to explain herself. Taylor's eyes showed pure anger.

"Chanel, why is he going crazy now? He should have been going crazy when your step-mother began to abuse Gabi, he should have been going crazy when he saw cuts and bruises on his baby girl. He should have been going crazy when Gabriella would fall to the floor crying! But he didn't. Troy was the one who was there for her. Coach Bolton treats her like a real daughter; even Mrs Bolton treats Gabriella as family. For God's sake Sue at the care home cares for Gabriella more than you! You're not her family. How could I be so stupid to even think that you cared? Why am I here when I need to be with Gabriella? When I need to make up with my friend...yet again. All thanks to you." Taylor yelled and then walked out of the room. Chanel stood up and ran after her.

"Taylor please, give us a chance. We want to change." She was close to tears. Taylor turned around, on the inside she felt sorry for Chanel but on the outside she was as cold as ice.

"Sort this out yourself. I'm tired of doing favours for people who don't appreciate what they have until they lose it." Taylor spoke those last two sentences and then opened the front door. She gave the Montez family one last glare and then walked out, slamming the door behind her and leaving the Montez family to their thoughts.

**The Danforth Household...**

Chad paced his bedroom floor. Back and forth, back and forth in an unplanned rhythm. He sighed and ran a hand through his bushy fro. He recalled Gabriella's face as they told her they knew. She went completely pale, she didn't want anyone to now but there she was speechless. Chad sighed; his little sister was being abused. It hadn't sunk in before, but when he saw the blood he felt like he was going to upchuck. He felt angry. Chad grabbed a pillow and began to hit it with full power.

"What's wrong Chad?" Chad stopped punching his pillow and looked at the doorway to his room. His little sister Karin was standing there, looking very afraid.

"I'm just...frustrated." He said as he took a seat at the end of his bed. Karin skipped into the room and sat by him.

"Don't be. Dad said that when you're frustrated you get a little violent. But this is the first time I've seen you like this. I mean come on I have had to live with you for nine years!" Karin joked lightly. Chad looked up and smiled at his little sister.

"This is why I like to keep calm. So that no one sees that violent side of me. Why do you think I took up basketball and boxing?" Chad asked. Karin thought for a moment. "Chill K, it was a rhetorical question." He said smartly.

"Wow and I thought you didn't even know what question meant." Chad and Karin looked up to see Taylor standing in the doorway. Karin looked up at Chad and saw that he was just focused on Taylor. She decided that it was time for her to make her exit. She gave him a tight squeeze and then walked over to Taylor. She hugged her briefly and then sprinted off, knowing that they wanted time alone. Taylor stepped into the room and closed the door gently behind her. She lent on the door and looked at Chad. "Hi." She said quietly.

"H-Hey..." Chad replied finally regaining his ability to speak. He shook his head and noticed how uncomfortable she looked. "Come here Tay." He held out his arms for her. Taylor didn't even have to think twice before running into one of his big hugs.

"Sorry Chad." She said as she rested her head against his chest.

"It's okay." He replied. "At least you've found the truth. That's all that matters." He said as he held her in his arms. He always knew that Taylor was the type of girl who stuck with her mates, he doubted that a few hours ago but now he knew that his assumption was correct.

**Zac's Car...**

Zac looked at Gabriella through the mirror. She was resting her head on Troy's shoulder and was staring out of the window, lost in her thoughts. She had grown up a lot but hat was normal considering the fact that he had last seen her when she was six! That was a long time ago. As he looked at Gabriella, he saw a lot of Marie in her. Her saw the same toned skin, the same soft welcoming eyes, the same bouncy curls and definitely the same smile. It was like his little sister was alive again. Zac felt tears in his eyes and looked away from the mirror. Now was not the time to get emotional, especially not in front of Gabriella and Troy and Vanessa. Troy looked over at his wife; this must be just as hard on her as it was on him. She wasn't as close to Marie as he was but they were still cousins and that was a good enough reason. Vanessa turned her head and caught Zac looking at her.

"Keep your eyes on the road babe." She spoke softly. Zac grinned and did as he was told. Vanessa smiled as she looked out of the window again. She was feeling...well...she didn't know what she was feeling. There were so many emotions running through her right now. She looked back at the two teens and smiled. Troy cared a lot for Gabriella and Vanessa was able to see that as soon as she set eyes on the pair. She looked over at Gabriella and sighed. It had been thirteen years since she last saw her nieces. And now she had seen one of them by chance. Vanessa closed her eyes and remembered back to that one time, the first time she laid her eyes on Zac and the twins.

**Flashback**

23-year-old Vanessa Lopez stepped out of the plane and into the tunnel that led her through to the airport. Her family was behind her as she rushed in front. She held her tote bag in one hand and a mobile phone in another. She was checking her inbox and texting back to the people who texted her whilst she was in the plane. Vanessa placed her phone in her bag and then went to get her luggage. Ben Lopez wheeled over a luggage cart and Vanessa began to pile the suitcases on.

"Relax Vanessa." Ben told his daughter. Vanessa just laughed a little.

"Arrepentido (**sorry**) Pa. I'm just so...so...entusiasmado!" Vanessa said making her father laugh.

"It would have sounded the same in English as well." He said. Vanessa shook her head.

"Nope, excited sounds overused. If I say it in Spanish it's like a whole new word!" She said with a lot of enthusiasm. Ben chuckled lightly as he went over to help the rest of his family. Vanessa sighed and looked nowhere in particular. She was daydreaming again. Vanessa was always daydreaming; she was a lot like Marie. Both lived in dreams. Vanessa snapped out of her trance as her phone buzzed. She whipped it out of her bag and viewed the new message.

_Ave u landed?_

Vanessa read the message. It was from Marie.

_Yup jst gettin the bags sorted._

She texted back. Vanessa looked over at her mother who seemed to be having a problem in recognising their luggage. She shook her head slightly and laughed. Her phone buzzed again.

_Gr8...Julio n Zac r cumin 2 collect u they shud b ther now...so cya inabit xoxo_

Vanessa read the message and smiled as she texted back.

_Gr8...can't wait 2 meet ur lurvely hubby n also this Zac u go on n on bou...so cya inabit cuz adios. _

Vanessa typed in her last message and then placed her phone back in her bag. She looked over at her parents and smiled. They were all done and were now waiting for her patiently.

"Pa, Ma, Marie just texted me, she said Julio was outside." Vanessa told her parents. Teresa and Ben smiled at their daughter and wheeled over their carts. Vanessa grabbed the one with her mother and they were off.

"¿Así que piensa usted que usted encontrará un a chico agradable y guapo aquí? Usted no ha visto nadie después de Reo. (**So do you think you are going to meet a nice and handsome boy here? You haven't seen anyone after Reo**)" Vanessa looked over at her mother in annoyance.

"Ma déjelo (**leave it**)" She said as they reached the end of the corridor. The doors opened automatically and they stepped out of the duty free section. Vanessa scanned the room for her cousin's man.

"Tio Ben!" Vanessa turned her head and saw Julio waving like crazy. He was shouting Uncle Ben over and over again.

"Pa, it's them!" She said excitedly and wheeled her trolley over to the two men. As soon as they got there Julio wrapped his arms around her.

"Vanessa, haven't seen you in ages." He said. Vanessa smiled.

"Same, last I saw you was at your wedding. You looked a lot thinner then." She joked and patted his stomach.

"Well you know what they say, men gain weight after marriage, plus you can't say no to Marie's cooking." Another male joined the conversation. Vanessa looked behind Julio and looked at the most handsome boy, no man, ever. She held out her hand.

"Vanessa Lopez, cousin of Marie." She said politely. The man laughed.

"Zachary Alexander, 'brother' of Marie." Zac said adding air quotes around the word brother. Vanessa smiled and nodded. _'So this is Zac'_, she thought.

"Well then let's go!" Julio said as he took the trolley from Teresa. Zac kindly offered to take Ben's trolley but Ben wasn't having it.

"Real men wheel their own trolleys. That's Pa's motto." Vanessa joked as she and Zac followed the rest out. Zac laughed and looked down at her.

"You look a lot like Marie." He said, he almost kicked himself there, obviously she would look a little like Marie, and they were cousins!

"Thank you. And you look a lot like...well yourself." Vanessa replied, not knowing what to say. Zac chuckled. Vanessa just smiled and then looked away. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! _Vanessa cursed herself 

in her head. Zac just looked over at her and smiled. This trip was going to be interesting. They reached the outside of the airport and Julio found their car. Zac took Teresa's luggage off the trolley and placed it in the boot.

"You got any luggage?" Zac asked Vanessa as she passed. He expected her to pull out another two trolley carts.

"Nope, I mean I only had one and you've already put that in." Vanessa told him pointing to the white suitcase he had placed at the top of the pile. Zac looked at her in astonishment. "What?" Vanessa asked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"Urm nothing. Just that, girls like you normally have 20 odd bags with them..." The moment he spoke those few words, he regretted it terribly.

"Girls like me?" Vanessa said with a raised eyebrow. Zac kind of cowered under her gaze, and this made Vanessa smile a little.

"I urm didn't mean it like that. What I meant was that...urm..." Zac stopped talking because he was cut off by Vanessa's laughter.

"God, you thought I was angry or something. The look on your face." Vanessa said as she climbed into the car. Still laughing. Zac looked at the spot she had previously occupied and found himself grinning like a fool. He closed the boot of the car and then walked over to the passenger seat at the front. He climbed in and then Julio put the car in drive.

...In Front Of The House...

Vanessa stepped down and out of the car, she stood facing the house as her father, Zac and Julio carried the luggage in. Teresa had already made her way down the front path and up to the front door. She rang the doorbell and waited for a second before the front door was flung open. There stood Marie with two little Marie's by her side. Teresa grinned and pulled Marie into a hug for a few seconds, okay make that minutes, then she let go and let Marie breathe. Then she took the twins into her arms and Vanessa could see them trying to get away. Vanessa laughed lightly as she gripped her bag and walked down the path and up to Teresa.

"Ma relájese, permítales respirar (**relax, let them breathe**)." She patted her mother's back; Teresa sighed and released the twins. Both let out a big sigh.

"Vanessa?" Marie stepped forward and looked at her cousin.

"Marie!" Vanessa exclaimed as she ran towards her cousin. They embraced each other in a huge bear hug.

"Wow, I haven't seen you in ages. I mean look at you! Looking very caliente." She said with a little bit of spice in her voice. Vanessa giggled.

"Yeah well you've had twins and you still beat me by miles." She said, complimenting her cousin.

"Well Zac's thinks you shine because he's looking at you right now." Marie said nodding at Zac. Vanessa turned around and sure enough Zac was staring at her. Vanessa gave a flick of her hair and turned back.

"He probably wants to get into the house faster. He said he can't resist your cooking. So he probably smelt the food yards away." Vanessa joked. Marie laughed and then stepped back to let her cousin's through. Vanessa walked through the hallway and into the living room; the walls were covered with pictures. Vanessa walked over to the fireplace and smiled at the picture of Marie and Julio on their wedding day. She was looking at the other pictures and then someone tugged at her dress. Vanessa looked around expecting to see Marie or someone but there was no one there. She felt another tug and then looked down. Two versions of Marie were looking back up at her. She knelt down so that she was at their level. "Hey girls." She greeted them. "What are your names?" She asked, obviously she knew their names but she wanted them to speak to her.

"I'm Chanel." The one wearing pink extended her hand. Vanessa smiled and shook it.

"I'm Gabriella. But you can call me Gabi. That's what everyone calls me." Gabriella, who was wearing blue, stepped forward and hugged Vanessa. Vanessa smiled and hugged her back.

"Well I'm your Auntie Vanessa. You can call me Aunt Ness if you want." She said. Gabriella nodded.

"Okay Aunt Ness." She said her pearly white teeth showing as she smiled. Vanessa smiled as she looked over at Chanel.

"Um Auntie Vanessa is better." Chanel said. Vanessa was a little hurt but it wasn't Chanel's fault.

"Okay, whatever you want." Vanessa said as she stood up and took both girls by the hands. "Now give me a tour." She asked. Gabriella and Chanel giggled as they pulled her out of the door.

"May I join this tour?" Vanessa turned around to face Zac, she smiled.

"Of course you can." She said looking down. Zac stepped forward and clasped Gabriella's hand. Gabriella smiled up at her Uncle as Chanel led them into the next room.

"The kitchen." Chanel said, sounding all posh-like.

"Mommy wanted it pink, Daddy wanted it blue." Gabriella said as she noticed Vanessa's face. The upper half of the kitchen was painted blue and the lower half of the kitchen was painted blue. Vanessa laughed.

"Married couples." She said and shook her head. Chanel smiled and pulled them out and into the next room.

"Front room." She said.

"The only room they agreed on." Gabriella added. Vanessa frowned, a confused expression clouding her face. Zac noticed this.

"Basically, what El is trying to say is that this is the only room that's normal in this house. Marie and Julio agreed on the colours and decorations in this room. But as you have seen, they didn't agree on 

others. This is my favourite room, because it's normal." Zac finished. Vanessa laughed at the situation.

"Wow those two are a match made in heaven." She said her eyes were lighting up in amusement. Chanel shook her head and then pulled them out and up the stairs. She led them into the first room.

"My room." Chanel said.

"The pink room." Gabriella spoke at the same time. Chanel glared at Gabriella. Gabriella looked back at her with a sweet smile on her face.

"Dolls, clothes in the wardrobe, shoes over there, pretty picture books in that pretty pink bookcase there." Zac pointed out everything in the room and Chanel seemed to get irritated. She yanked Vanessa out of the room and shoved her into Gabriella's room.

"Gabi's room." She said.

"MY ROOM!" Gabriella burst in with Zac. She smiled, proudly as Vanessa walked around.

"Bookcase with cool, wordy books. Wardrobe over-flowing – just like mine, minimum pairs of shoes and the room is white. Simple yet perfect." Zac said, smiling down at Gabriella. Vanessa smiled at their closeness, but she also noticed Chanel's sadness. It was reflecting off her like light.

"Come on Chanel, let's move." Vanessa said as she took the girl by the hand. Chanel smiled up at her aunt and then escorted her out of the room. Zac and Gabriella followed, goofing around as they walked along.

"This is mommy and daddy's room." She said.

"The room we're not allowed in." Gabriella said, closing the door.

"Dumbo, mommy said when she's in there. Not out." Chanel said. Again Vanessa was confused.

"She means that Marie said that they aren't allowed to go into her room when she's in there with Julio. Hmm I wonder why..." Zac said wiggling his eyebrows. Vanessa blushed for her cousin.

"She's right too." Vanessa said quietly. Zac looked at her, with the smirk still on his face, and took her hand.

"Let's go see the garden, it's the best bit." He said as he led her down. Chanel started to walk behind them but Gabriella pulled her back.

"Lone time." She said. Chanel nodded. Lone time was what their parents had when they dropped the girls of to their aunt's house. Lone time was what Zac and Vanessa needed now. As the two girls retreated to their rooms, Zac and Vanessa made their way out into the garden. Without realising that the twins had vanished. Zac opened the door for her like he gentleman he was and Vanessa smiled at his action.

"Thanks." She said quietly.

"No problem." He said. He closed the door behind them and then took her hand again. Vanessa could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks. He led her all the way to the other end of the garden.

"Where are you taking me Zac?" She asked him. Zac turned around and smiled as they reached the end of the garden. There was an adjoining door and Zac fiddled with the lock until it opened. He covered Vanessa's eyes with his hands and then led her into the place. Vanessa giggled slightly as he navigated her. She felt like a computer mouse at the moment. He stopped and took his hands off her eyes, signalling for her to open them. Her smoky eyes were opened and she gasped at the amazing sight in front of her. There was a fountain in the middle, spraying water around, refreshing her mind completely. There were deck chairs, beds of flowers. Just imagine a perfect garden and this was it. Vanessa looked around and smiled. "Wow!" She said as she ran in. She loved flowers and anything else that had to do with gardening. This was definitely the best she had seen yet.

"You like?" Zac asked, feeling almost self-conscious. Vanessa looked at his hopeful face and laughed.

"I absolutely effing love it!" She said, showing her excitement. Zac smiled as she wondered through the garden. "Who did all of this?" She asked as she touched the flowers lightly.

"Me... and Marie. But me mostly!" He said. Vanessa took his hand and led him over to the swinging chair. She sat down and pulled him down with her.

"Wow, I mean this is amazing." She said. Zac laughed.

"You're amazing." He added. Vanessa looked at him as he realised what had come out of his mouth. He went a little red and looked over at her. His eyes flickered from her eyes down to her rosy lips and then back up again. She looked straight at him as if she were giving him permission to go ahead. He lent forward and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. Vanessa smiled into it as he deepened the kiss.

"Ew, nasty!" The couple broke apart to see the two twins giggling vigorously. Zac stuck his tongue out at them and then resumed his current position with his face attached to Vanessa's. They could hear the twins giggling and gagging at the back but didn't really care; I mean they were kissing after all.

"¡Vanessa Lopez, yo aunque usted dijo que usted no buscaba a hombres fuera aquí! Venga adentro en este momento, la cena es puesta. ¡Vanessa! Vanessa. ¡Bájese delo! ¡Vanessa! (**Vanessa Lopez, I though you said that you were not looking for men out here! Come inside right now, dinner is set. Vanessa! Vanessa. Get off him! Vanessa!**)" The couple broke apart at the sound of Teresa's voice they listened to her lecture but smiled at each other sheepishly all throughout it.

**End Flashback...**

Vanessa smiled as she thought about that moment years ago. She looked over at her husband and he grinned that wonderful grin of his. Troy looked down at Gabriella she was really quiet but then again she had been quiet for a few days now. He stroked her hair with his fingers and watched as she smiled slightly. He wondered what she was thinking. How she was reacting to all of this? After all she mattered the most in this. Gabriella sighed, this was great but she was still feeling down. She hadn't see her Uncle for years and all of a sudden he shows up at the care home the day after she 

was beaten and thrown out of her home. It was just fate. Gabriella looked at her Uncle through the mirror, he looked the same. A lot older but still the same. He had the same chestnut brown hair that was now shorter. He had the same welcoming friendly eyes. He was all in all the same guy who was like her best friend from the age of four to the age of six. He was still her fun loving Uncle, even if he was in his pre-forties. Gabriella sighed as she watched the cars, houses and people go by. She felt Troy squeeze her hand reassuringly and smiled. At least she knew that one person would always be by her side.

**At The Mall...**

"What about this one?" Sharpay asked Jen. Jen looked at the top Sharpay was holding and thought about it. She was staring at a light red, almost pink pleat neck top. It was nice and it would definitely suit Gabriella.

"She'd look hot in it. Plus Troy wouldn't mind her wearing that either." Jen said wiggling her eyebrows. Sharpay rolled her eyes but laughed nonetheless.

"You're too much of a cheerleader." She said. Jen just gave her a look.

"Well you are what you are." She said with a shrug. Sharpay just smiled as she placed the top in the pile of the other clothes that she planned on giving to Gabriella.

"I just can't wait for her to see all of this; she's going to be really happy." Sharpay said excitedly.

"Or she'll be happy for a minute and then stress out trying to figure out where to put all of it." Jen joked. Sharpay sighed.

"Yeah but, she'll have nice new clothes to go with her nice new life with Troy." She said. Jen looked over at her in confusion. "Jen there's no way I'm letting Gabs go back to living with the parents from hell. She deserves better." Sharpay said her sympathy showing in her voice.

"Look Shar, I'm not being rude or anything but you have to stop feeling sorry for her. She's got so much sorrow and pain and she doesn't need pity. She needs us to help her feel normal again. So to do that we have to go back to how we were with her." Jen explained.

"Wow, when did you become deep and well smart!" Sharpay exclaimed.

"That's what you get when you hang around Troy too much." Jen said with a shrug.

"That is so true, and Jen you're right. Gabriella doesn't need our pity; she needs our friendship and support. So let's throw in some shoes as well." Sharpay added as a joke. Jen laughed and chucked another top at her. "Oh that is cute. Good choice." Sharpay said not knowing Jen's ulterior motive.

"Whatever Shar, so where is your boyfriend dearest?" Jen asked. Sharpay's face lit up and she gave Jen a huge smile.

"He's helping his Dad in his garage. It's so cute that they're finally having some time together." Sharpay said as she thought of her baker boyfriend and his spanner Dad. "Just goes to show that no matter what happens you have to stick together." Sharpay said referring to the fact that Zeke's parents had divorced.

"That's awesome, he was always down and upset when they broke up hell he even blamed himself. But you helped him through that Shar." Jen said. Sharpay smiled.

"I love him so I had to help him and I wanted to. I love seeing him happy." Sharpay grinned again. Seeing people happy was one of the things that Sharpay loved nowadays. Before when she was 'the Ice Princess' she never cared. Ever since Troy had that 'talk' with her she changed her ways and realised that she'd been pining after the wrong guy and then went for the right one. Zeke. She even stopped bossing Ryan around. Life was carefree and happy after that. She helped almost everyone with everything and she was back to being popular. Not for the wrong reasons such as the other half of Troy but for the right ones like helping everyone out. Sharpay had so many bad things happen to her and she hated it when those things happened to other people. Just like Gabriella. Gabriella was an amazing person and she didn't deserve to be treated like nothing.

"Shar what about this?" Jen turned around to find her best friend crying. Her brown orbs were full with tears. "Oh honey what's wrong?" She asked as she rushed over to Sharpay.

"I feel so bad for her. I know I shouldn't have too much pity but I hate seeing her like this. She's like a sister to me now." Sharpay said through her sobs. Jen patted her back gently.

"We all feel the same way. She like a sister to us and girlfriend to Troy. I mean we can't help feeling sorry for her, it's in our nature, we just have to control it and hope that we can be strong enough for her." Jen said soothingly. Sharpay nodded and wiped away her tears.

"Yeah...yeah you're right." She said getting up from the floor. Jen mimicked her actions. "Let's get shopping! I want to make Gabs feel good about herself again!" Sharpay said with a determined look on her face. Jen nodded and the girls got back to work.

**Mr Baylor's Garage...**

"Dad?" Zeke asked.

"Yeah?" Kevin Baylor spoke from underneath the car.

"Can I tell you something...?" Zeke hesitated for a moment. "...And can I trust you enough not to tell anyone at all?" He added. Kevin came out from under the car. His face was covered in black marks, his hands dirty, sleeves rolled up and a confused expression on his face. He stood up and went over to his work top. He grabbed a cloth and set his spanner down on the table. He wiped his dirty hands with the equally grimy rag.

"What is it son?" He asked with concern in his voice. Zeke sighed.

"Dad I'm not supposed to tell you but I can't exactly tell Mum, she'll make a big fuss out of it and I know I can trust you to not tell anyone." He said. Kevin nodded, curious of what his son was about to reveal. "It's like this Dad; my close friend is being...abused." Zeke took a small breath and looked at his Dad who had abandoned his rag. "I want to help her but she doesn't want her family to suffer, and I totally get that but I still want to do something for her other than making her cookies." He said. Kevin looked at Zeke for a moment and then motioned for the young lad to follow him. They walked into the house and sat on the couch in the living room.

"Zeke, first off you can trust me in not telling. It's your friend's choice on what she wants to do and it just shows that she cares. Secondly all you have to do is be there for her. Be strong and reassure her that things will be alright even if you have doubts because reassurance is what she needs." Zeke nodded as his father spoke.

"Thanks Dad, you helped a lot." He thanked is old man. Kevin smiled and looked at a picture frame of himself and his best friend.

"Your Uncle Fred was a great guy you know." He said.

"Yeah I know he was totally awesome." Zeke said noticing the look on his father's face. "It was upsetting and horrific when we found out that he'd committed suicide..." Zeke choked a little.

"Yeah well the reason was that he was being abused, just like your friend. His father would hit him and hit him on days end and he wouldn't do anything about it. He would complain and say that he deserved it. Obviously he didn't and I knew that. But it was against his wished for me to go and tell on his father so I respected them. But he was torn inside and that just drove him to the edge. Just like that." Kevin snapped his fingers. "I could have been more supportive instead of pressuring him into telling someone." He spoke sadly. "So that's my advice to you son, support her and help her. She'll make the right decision on her own but she needs you all to be there to support her on this, otherwise she'll never get through." Kevin told Zeke.

"Cheers Dad and sorry about Uncle Fred, I never knew that. Ma never spoke about him much. Or when I asked she just dismissed the subject." Zeke said.

"Yeah they were close, dated a few years before I came into the picture. Fred didn't speak to me for days but we got through that." Kevin said and stood up. "Now about those cookies..." He grinned at his son.

**Marissa's Dance Studio...**

"Higher! Higher! Lift it higher!" Martha sighed as her dance instructor yelled at her. She lifted her leg higher, hoping that she would get it right this time. "No, no, no. Martha you have to feel like you can do anything, clearly your mind is on something else at the moment." Marissa said as she looked at her student. Martha sighed, Marissa was right. The only thing that was on her mind was Gabriella. The look on her face when they said they knew. The blood and bruises that showed clearly. She couldn't get the image out of her mind.

"Sorry Marissa. I can't help it, I'm just worried." Martha said. Marissa nodded.

"Most dancer's have this Martha. Your dance depends on your mood. Or you can show your emotions through your dance. Sometimes it's a good get away." Marissa said, speaking from experience. She used dance to get away from her husbands taunting words and her ex-husbands threats. She used dance to level herself so that when she returned to her home she would be normal in front of her two kids.

"My friend Gabriella is like that. She shows her emotions in her dance." Martha said. Marissa looked interested.

"Oh yeah?" She said.

"Yeah, she's an amazing dancer. She can adapt to anything. But she's going through a lot at the moment." Martha said remembering the sadness and loneliness in Gabriella's eyes as she talked about the hell that was home.

"When I have a bad day or bad week I like to come to the studio and play some music. Music that suits my mood. I have no one to watch me and then I dance. That's where the saying comes from right? Dance like nobody's watching. I think it's the best saying ever." Marissa smiled.

"So she should dance and let it all go?" Martha asked, an idea forming in her head. Marissa nodded.

"Yeah it'll help trust me." She said as she stood up. Martha stood up as well and thought for a moment, maybe this could work. Marissa put the music on and watched as Martha got into it. "That's right Martha; show them what you've got. Show that Madame what's-her-face that you've got it and you don't need her." Marissa yelled at her. Martha nodded focused on her dancing. She was going to bring her friend G back to life. She was going to help her and she was going to do it in the best way possible.

**The Neilson Kitchen...**

Kelsi opened the back door with her silver key and stepped into the kitchen. She dumped her books on the counter and looked around for something to eat.

"Kelsi? Is that you?" Kelsi looked up to see who had come.

"Hey Grandma." Kelsi greeted the old woman. Hermione looked down at her granddaughter.

"How are you honey? And where were you all day? The principal called talking about some kind of absence and emergency blah, blah." Hermione said taking a glass and pouring some water for herself. Kelsi looked away for a moment and took a bite out of her apple.

"Gran I had to go sort some things out with my friends. It was an emergency and Coach Bolton knew of our absence. You don't have to worry." She said as she gathered her books, grabbed another apple and made her way out of the kitchen with Hermione on her heels.

"What's wrong Kelsi? Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, hoping that Kelsi would turn around and say yes and then they would chat over a cup of tea.

"No Gran I don't want to talk about it, I just want to be left alone." She said as she stormed up the stairs.

"Wait!" Hermione called out. Kelsi stopped reluctantly and turned around, wanting to know what happened. "When are you going to let us meet this boy of yours?" I mean you've been with him for quite some time now and you've never brought him home to meet us..." Hermione said.

"Stop Gran, he's just a friend, no one worth you meeting." She said and then walked up the stairs and into her room. She dumped her books on her desk and ran over to her piano, she was frustrated and needed some time to relax and let it all out. Her hands touched the keys and it was no stopping her from then on, she was on fire. Kelsi played high, low, fast and slow. She played songs she knew, 

songs she composed herself and she just went freestyle for a bit. Just as she began to go high and fast again, her phone rang. Kelsi sighed and her hands left the piano keys and all that was heard was the ringing of the phone and Kelsi stomping over to her bed. "Hello?" She said angrily into the phone.

"Urm I just interrupted you again ennit?" Kelsi sighed, her mood was going back to normal and her face was back to relaxing. Her body no longer felt tense. This wasn't because of the piano-let-her-frustration-out part. No it was because of the person on the other end of the line.

"No you never, well you did but I'm glad you did." Kelsi said as she lay back on her bed.

"Oh right, oh well heh. So what are you up to?" He asked. Kelsi sighed.

"Just trying to get away from everything. Jase do you think Gabriella is going to be okay?" Kelsi asked.

"She'll be fine in the future and she'll move on with her life but for the moment she's going to be pretty torn up. I mean these things don't usually happen to everyday people and Gabriella needs some time to get over everything or at least learn to live without the pain." Jason said. Kelsi smiled.

"I love your cleverness." She said. Jason smiled.

"And I love you so that means that I know something's up and what is it?" He asked, concern showing clearly in his voice.

"It's just that Gran insists on meeting you and she's always up in my face. She won't leave me alone!" Kelsi said with frustration.

"Kels first off I'd love to meet your Gran and Dad, they sound nice. Secondly you have to let it all go. You've been bottling everything up for a while now, so let it go already." He said. Kelsi thought for a moment. He was right, he was always right.

"You're completely right Jase. I'm going to go sort it out now. Love you." She said as she hung up. She chucked her phone on her bed and raced down the stairs looking all over for her Grandmother. "Gran?" She called out as she walked through the house. She stepped outside into the garden and found her Gran talking to another woman. "Gran?" She said as she got closer.

"Kelsi? Honey what are you doing out here?" Hermione asked, standing in front of the visitor.

"Looking for you, and Dad. Where is he?" Kelsi asked. Hermione looked at her.

"He's in the garage. Why?" She asked.

"I need to talk to you both. Urm I'll go make us some tea." Kelsi said as she stepped back into the house. She turned to close the door and saw her Grandmother flinging her arms about at the familiar woman. Hermione was definitely angry.

"Hey Kelli." Carter Neilson walked past her in the hallway and ruffled her hair a little.

"Dad!" She yelled as she looked at her hair in the toaster trying to get it back to normal.

"What? Can't a father lovingly mess up his daughter's hair?" Carter asked as he sat down at the table with a newspaper in his hands.

"Yes he can when she's feeling down and when she's seven but after that it's a no-no! Anyway I've got some things I need to talk to you about. Where's Gran got to? She looked pretty angry outside with that woman. Who is she anyway? She looks familiar." Kelsi questioned. Carter cleared his throat.

"Okay Kelli slow down. Sorry for the hair I was just in a good mood so I just felt like it. Gran's busy and what do you need to tell us?" Carter asked. Kelsi smiled.

"You'll have to wait and see." She said. Then Hermione burst into the kitchen.

"The nerve of that woman coming in here after all these years, she was the one who fled...hey hon. so what did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked as soon as she realised that Kelsi was standing there. Kelsi looked at her with a questioning look but went on with her speech nevertheless.

"Well I know that I've been a bit – a lot – difficult lately and I want to apologise for that. I'm just so torn up after you know Mom left us two years ago and then Dad you started dating Andrea and it's not that I don't like her, I do it's just that I'm a little insecure about someone taking Mom's place and I just won't be able to take it if that person leaves too. Secondly I've invited Jason over for dinner. He wants to meet you and you want to meet him. It sounds like a perfect opportunity for me." Kelsi finished. Hermione looked down.

"Honey there's something I have to tell you..." She looked over at Carter.

"Mom no..." He objected.

"I have to tell her Carter." Hermione said. She turned to face Kelsi. "That woman who came was...was...well she was your mother..." Kelsi's eyes widened at this sentence.

"W-What did she want?" She said in a shocked yet cold voice.

"She wanted to see you." Hermione replied.

"And you refused right?" Kelsi asked. Hermione nodded and waited for the yelling and the stomping and the slamming and finally the tears. "Good." Hermione looked at her with widened eyes. "Gran she chose to leave me, I'm not going to let her back in so easily, I will let her in eventually but not now. Right now I have to let you in." Kelsi said and looked at her family with a smile on her face.

**The Evans Mansion...**

It was cold, it was dark but Ryan wouldn't have wanted it any other way. His parents were out. His father was at the club playing golf with some friends. His mother was having a spa day; she thought that she deserved time off. Ryan thought that she was just being 'rich'. Sharpay was out with Jen at the mall, not for meaningless shopping but for Gabriella. Ryan thought that Sharpay was the only person in his family who was doing something good. After hearing Gabriella's family life, Ryan had realised how torn up his own family was. They didn't even sit and eat dinner together. They were a 

dysfunctional family but not in the obvious way, they were just a few people living in a house together. It was like they were more like room mates than blood related family.

"Master Evans would you like a drink?" Charles asked. Ryan shook his head.

"No thanks Charles and please call me Ryan, Master sounds too, demanding." He said. Charles nodded.

"As you wish...Ryan." Charles said with a small smile and then walked out of the room, leaving Ryan to think once again. The room was empty apart from all the furniture and decor it was still empty. Not in a physical way but an emotional and mental way. It was too quiet. It was too dark. It was just lonely. Ryan sighed; maybe this room represented Gabriella's feelings. Just a dark, empty space. Nothing more than material objects. He looked out of the window and noticed the small beam of light that was shining though. Maybe that light represented Troy and the gang for Gabriella. They were the way out. Ryan sat in silence thinking about this and then realising that his phone was vibrating in his hand.

"Hello." He spoke, not bothering to check the Caller ID.

"Hey Ryan. Where are you?" Ryan smiled as he heard the familiar demanding voice of his sister.

"At home." He answered. He heard Sharpay sigh.

"Alone? Ry, what is up with you these days?" She asked, concern showing clearly in her voice.

"Nothing, I just like to think" He replied.

"Yeah you do and that scares me." Sharpay said. Ryan frowned; he could hear the worry in her voice.

"Shar, you don't have to be scared." He tried to reassure her.

"Yeah I do Ry; you sit there on your own and communicate with the gang as little as possible. Ever since yesterday you've been acting weird. That's what scares me Ry." Sharpay was genuinely worried for her brother. He was always so chirpy and never so serious. It was like he had a change in character.

"Sharpay I'm all good. So what if I like to think? It's good; it helps you notice things that you've never noticed before. It helps you realise how messed up your life really is. It helps you realise that you should make the most of how much time you have left..." Ryan went on to say.

"Stop! You just need to stop Ryan. Don't think, do anything but think. Just stay where you are brother. You need help." Sharpay said and hung up. Ryan ended the call and placed his phone on the table beside him calmly. He just sat there and did the one thing that Sharpay didn't want him to do. Think.

**With Zac, Vanessa, Gabriella and Troy...**

"Here we go." Zac said as he parked the car in the driveway. "Home sweet home." He said as he turned off the engine. Vanessa unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. Troy helped Gabriella out of the back seat and held onto her as they walked up to the front door. Vanessa smiled 

as she trailed after them; they were made for each other. Zac looked back and smiled at his wife before opening the front door. "Tada!" He said as he stepped to a side. Both Gabriella and Vanessa giggled, causing the two guys to grin sheepishly. They looked at each other.

"Whipped." They said at the same time. The four walked through the hallway and into the living room. Gabriella smiled as she noted all the pictures that were hung up. There were some of her mother and some of the twins when they were small.

"We kept them all, never wanted to forget you." Vanessa said. Gabriella nodded and took a seat beside Troy. "So you want to tell me how you got those bruises?" Vanessa asked. Zac came and sat down besides her and Gabriella started her story. As she was speaking she remembered the week that was hell for her, the week her mother died.

**Flashback (Not Going To Do The Whole Week Cause That Would Be Too Long, So This Is Just Snippets Of It, The Important Parts.)**

_Monday Morning 12__th__ May 1996_

"So I was thinking that we should put all our work and school stuff to a side and go for a picnic...as a family." Marie said as she placed breakfast on the table. Gabriella and Chanel looked at each other in excitement.

"Yeah Mommy, good idea." Gabriella said as she gripped her plate of scrambled eggs. Chanel nodded as well.

"Yeah, can I dress up?" She asked. Marie laughed.

"Yes of course you can honey." She said and ruffled Chanel's hair a bit. She then looked over at her husband. "What do you think Daddio?" She asked, calling him by his nickname, one she made out of mockery. Usually he would look up, smile and start to poke her, making her laugh and the kid too. Today he just mumbled.

"I think I have some important things to attend to. I can't get out of them." He said in a stern voice. The twins could see their mother's disappointment at his answer.

"Dad, come for us?" Chanel said giving him a pleading look. She nudged Gabriella and the younger twin caught on.

"Yeah pretty please?" Gabriella asked and batted her eyelashes. Julio looked at his daughters, there was no way that he would say yes to them, he couldn't give in, he mustn't give in...

"Yeah okay then." He heard himself reply. Damn, he gave in. He looked over at Marie who was smiling but still had a hint of disappointment on her face. Julio's face softened a little, he didn't want her to get hurt but he was already too far into the game and it was impossible to find his way out.

"Yes! Let's go now!" The girls screamed together. Marie giggled a little at her girls; Julio felt his heart flutter a little.

"Okay my babies go upstairs and I'll come to help you get dressed in a few minutes." She said lovingly and watched as they ran out of the room excitedly. Marie sighed and turned back to her husband. "Thank you." She said quietly as she cleared up the plates.

"For what?" Julio asked, clearly confused. Marie looked away, not wanting to look at him.

"For letting the girls have what they want. For taking some time off to be with them." She said and cleared away the rest of the plates. Julio sighed, maybe she had seen them? He didn't know and he was confused but she was acting weird towards him and that made him think that she had seen them.

"Is something wrong?" Julio asked, hoping that she would say no.

"No, not at all." She replied. Julio sighed with relief. "So how's Celina?" She asked casually as she left the room leaving Julio in shock. So she had seen them and that was why she was acting weird towards him. He put his head in his hands and tried to think of something. Something that would help him. _Bzzz, Bzzz_ his head shot up as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked at the Caller ID and sighed. It was Celina; she was not going to help. Reluctantly he answered the call.

"Hey babe." She greeted him. Julio smiled upon hearing her voice; he stood up and went to the door seeing if anyone was there. He stopped and sighed, there was no use hiding it anymore. "What's wrong?" She asked instantly. He smiled; she would always know when he was down.

"Nothing Ce, so what's on your mind?" He asked her as he looked out at the hallway.

"You. And me. Involved in a very important and VERY secretive meeting. I'm sure this one won't bore you." She spoke seductively and Julio could feel the Goosebumps on his arms.

"Ce you know I want to, I REALLY want to but I can't. I have to go to a picnic with the girls." He said nervously.

"With her?" Celina asked with bitterness in her voice.

"Yes her." He said. He waited for her reply, but never got one. Instead he heard the dial tone and figured that she had hung up.

"Ready to go?" Chanel asked her father as she skipped into the room. He nodded and let her navigate and take him to the car. He sat in the driver's seat and noticed that Marie was sitting at the back with Gabriella. This was not good. Gabriella looked up at her mother and sighed, something was up and it was not good.

_Tuesday Afternoon After School (13__th__ May 1996)_

Gabriella and Chanel sat down beside their father and listened while he read to them. It was their family hour but this family hour was different. Why? Because their mother wasn't present. She hadn't been there for breakfast and the girls had to eat their father's burnt toast. She hadn't walked to school with the three and therefore Gabriella had to walk slowly with Chanel and Julio rather than walking fast like she normally did with Marie. Marie also hadn't been present when the girls came back from school. Usually they would come in and be greeted by milk and cookies. But alas this time 

they had to have just plain milk because they were out of cookies because Marie hadn't gone to the supermarket like she always did on a Tuesday. These things had the girls worried, what was going on with their mother?

"Daddy where is Mommy?" Chanel asked her father. Gabriella looked up at him too. Julio looked down at the two girls and sighed.

"Mom is just feeling sick. She'll be fine tomorrow." He lied. But the twins seemed to buy this truth and that was good enough for him. "Now go upstairs and play with your toys." He said and they ran off like good little girls. In reality Marie was not going to be fine, Julio didn't even know if she was sick or not. All he knew was that she had walked in on him and Celina...again. This was late last night and the pair though that she was out doing some late night shopping, the twins were already in bed and the pair wanted to do a quickie. Well they weren't quick enough and Marie had caught them again. This time she wasn't so...normal about it. She locked herself in the basement, in her studio. He had no idea how she was and he wasn't all that sure that he wanted to know. As he was thinking these thoughts Marie was crying to herself in her studio. She had loved him for so long and he had to commit adultery and ruin her life. From the moment she saw him at that party she knew she liked him. His luscious locks of hair, that chiselled jaw and he was easy on the eyes and hot. Marie sighed; it was all too good to be true. She remembered their night together and smiled, it was great but what she didn't know was that a month later she would find out that she was expecting and then Julio would take her side on things. Everything was great and then Celina came back into their life. It was like a life-threatening disease and Marie was the one who was suffering whilst it attacked Julio and bit at her kids. Her kids, her two beautiful angels. Marie wiped her tears and looked up into the mirrors, she couldn't keep on living like this, it was wrong. She hoped that things would get better but if only she knew that they would get worse.

_Wednesday Evening (15__th__ May 1996)_

Gabriella felt tears in her eye and then looked over at her twin sister. Chanel was standing there in shock, complete and utter shock. They were only six and didn't know much but they knew that their Dad kissing another woman was definitely not right. She let out a little gasp and the caught the attention of the two adults. Julio whipped around and faced his daughter's, his eyes widened at their sad expressions and he stepped forward. The twins took a step back and glared daggers at the woman who was smiling mischievously from behind their father. Gabriella and Chanel looked at each other and then ran, ran away from their father who was calling their names.

"Chanel, Gabriella..." He started out quietly. Celina placed a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off. "CHANNY, BELLA!" He cried as stepped forward and out of the room. Celina stopped him.

"They'll come around babe." She told him. Julio turned around, hurt showing in his eyes.

"Yeah sure they'll come around, come around to knowing that their father is a liar." He said quietly. Celina tried to show some sympathy as he buried his head into his hands.

"Mommy, Mommy." Gabriella knocked on the basement door whilst trying to hold in her tears. Marie's ears perked up and she heard her Gabriella's voice. She stood up in pain and ran to the door as fast as she could. In a matter of seconds the door was open and Marie had engulfed Gabriella in a big hug.

"Oh baby." She said cuddling her. "Where's Chanel?" She asked, looking around for Gabriella's identical sister.

"Upstairs..." Gabriella sniffed. Marie frowned. "We saw Daddy with-with that other woman." Gabriella managed to tell her mother. Marie's expression changed after this.

"That is it! This woman has to go." She said and walked past Gabriella and up to the living room where Julio was seated...with Celina. "Get out!" Marie yelled as soon as she entered the room. Julio and Celina turned around startled by the noise.

"Excuse me?" Celina said.

"I said get out of MY house." Marie repeated her words with more attitude. Celina stood up and laughed.

"Your house?" Celina said with a smirk. "Last time I checked this house belongs to Julio, ain't that right...babe." She said. Marie narrowed her eyes and Julio shook his head.

"Yeah and last time I checked I was the one married to Julio not...you." Marie answered with a smile. Celina scrunched up her nose. "Oh you know married as in life-long relationship, vows to love each other...forever." Marie went on; she knew she had hit a nerve.

"That was only because you were having his kids." Celina said. Marie smiled.

"Our kids..." Marie pointed to herself and Julio. "We made them together!" She said with a grin. This made Celina's blood boil.

"Well if he loved you so very much he wouldn't be with me right now!" She yelled knowing that this would shut Marie up...and it did. "See Miss Malibu Barbie, he's not into you! He's into me and only me. He belongs to me and only me! Got that!" By now Celina and Marie were face to face, and Marie hand was twitching.

"One more word and..." She said in a dangerously low voice.

"And what princess? You'll scratch me with your perfectly manicured nails? Who the hell do you think you are?" This was all Celina was able to get out because Marie had already slapped her square across the face.

"Get out! I swear get out of my house and take that idiot with you! I don't care; I don't give a damn anymore. Go and take him and get hitched and then you can go and ruin someone else's life whilst your married to him cause you're only ever going to be a mistress! That's it! You're worthy of no man's love!" She screamed she was beyond furious. Julio took this as his cue to step in.

"Now listen Marie..." He began to say.

"No I will not listen to you Julio, I always listen to you, I listened to our lies every day and this is what I get? Betrayal and a slap in the face? Yeah Julio I know about your affair with the Home Wrecker of the Year but I didn't let it get to me! I stayed away from you, I put up with it because of the girls even if it was killing me inside. But now I find out that you had the nerve to bring her around our house again? And then carelessly try and rip her clothing off in front of my daughters. Gabriella 

came to me crying, she was really upset. So Julio you can go and have a nice life with this pin-up doll but don't ever come near my children again. If I have to leave this house I will but I'm taking my girls with me." Marie finished off and walked away. Julio sighed.

"Well that's that, you're coming with me babe." Celina said taking his hand.

"They're my children Ce and she's my wife, I was so caught up in being with you again that I forgot the most important thing..." He looked at Celina. "I'm already married and I love her, deep down I do and Ce I have kids, they need me. They need a real father, not some deadbeat dad who ran off with his ex." Celina's face scrunched up in anger.

"Babe she insulted me and you at the same time. She doesn't deserve your love and as for your kids you can come visit them and still be with me without being a deadbeat dad. I love you babe." She said softly now.

"Yeah I know you do and I love you too but I can't." He said with his head down. Celina gave him one last look and flounced out of the room. Julio sighed; it was most definitely not his day.

_Thursday Morning (16__th__ May 1996)_

"...And uh that-that woman w-was here and she w-as with D-Daddy an-and they were kissing l-like mommy and daddy do..." Gabriella cried into the phone.

"El relax and stop crying, I'll be there as soon as I can." The person on the other side of the line said.

"Why not now?" She asked, her eyes were red and puffy, Chanel sat next to her, and the two were huddled on the stairs, Chanel clutching her teddy and Gabriella pressing the phone to her ear. Both trying to block out the sound that was coming from the kitchen.

"Because El, I'm not at home, I'm out on a business trip. But I'll be there tomorrow. Don't worry kiddo. Just tell your Mom to make those lovely cookies of hers; I'm going to need them when I get there eh? Eh?" Her best friend said. Gabriella nodded and laughed a little.

"Okay Uncle Zac, see you tomorrow." She said as she hung up. She placed the phone down and hugged her sister. "He's on his way." She said.

"Okay, he should come quickly." Chanel said as they heard the voices getting louder in the kitchen. "Gabi?" Chanel said.

"Yeah?" Gabriella said in an equally frightened voice.

"Will we be okay? Will we ever fight like Mommy and Daddy?" She asked, terrified of the answer, what it could be.

"No I hope not. If Mommy and Daddy keep this up then I'm going to need you and you're going to need me." Gabriella said. Chanel nodded.

"You idiot!" They heard their mother yell. The two girls looked at each other.

"We'll never be like that." They said together. At that moment both girls were frightened. Frightened for themselves, their parents and their relationship as a family. They heard a loud smash and then the door burst open. Their father came storming out; he grabbed his keys and his jacket and gave them a terrified glance before walking out. The two girls looked at each other and then ran into the kitchen. Their mother was sitting on the floor weeping, holding her bloody arm and sitting in the middle of broken plates, cups and shattered glass. The twins were frightened but went to hug her nevertheless.

"My babies..." She said as she hugged them. They held onto her tightly not wanting to let go. Marie looked at her daughters clinging onto her. It shouldn't be like this, she thought. She wanted them to feel safe in their own home but even Marie didn't feel safe anymore. She wanted to get away, away from it all. There was one way but she would have to leave her twins, he kids, the two things she helped to create and she loved them dearly, she would just have to show them how much.

_Friday Evening (17__th__ May 1996)_

His black jeep pulled up in front of the house. He took the keys out of the ignition and stepped out of the car. He locked the doors and then jogged up to the front door. He rang the doorbell and knocked a couple of times until the door opened. When he turned around he felt two arms being flung around his neck.

"Uncle Zac, you came!" Gabriella said in delight. Zac looked down at his best friend's daughter. She had red puffy eyes but her smile was still visible.

"Course I came El, I wouldn't be able to stay away if I tried. The smell of those cookies just reel me in." He said. Gabriella smiled and laughed at his joke. She ran off inside leaving him to close the door himself.

"Chan! Chan!" She called out to her twin sister. "Uncle Zac is here!" Chanel ran into the room and jumped onto Zac. He laughed a little and then set her down on the ground.

"So where is your mother? And I don't smell cookies." He said sniffing the air. He had a huge smile on his face but then he looked down at the girls. They were looking at each other thinking about something. "What is it?" He asked.

"She's in her studio. She locked herself in there yesterday." Chanel told him. Zac's eyes widened, remembering the message she had left on his voicemail earlier.

"Oh hell no..." He said sprinting off in the direction of the basement with the two girls at his heels. He ran down to her studio and knocked on the door. "Marie? Marie?" He knocked on the door, wishing that she would open it up. "Marie? MARIE!" He yelled causing the girls to jump. They didn't know what was going on. All they knew that there was something wrong. "What happened? Did she say anything?" He asked them frantically. The twins shook their heads. In fact she had been normal all day, she was cooking them meals and playing with them. She even gave them some of her most valuable possessions. She reminded them that she loved them every two seconds, what could be wrong? Zac yelled out in frustration and then and idea came to mind. He motioned for the girls to step back and then he kicked the door. Again and again until it finally came down. He entered the room and looked around. He spotted Marie lying on the ground, her locks spilling all over her face. 

He stepped closer and looked back at the kids. They were terrified. He looked ahead again and felt tears come from his eyes as he saw a bottle of pills roll out from her hands, her now pale hands. Zac's eyes widened and he ran to her. "Call an ambulance!" He yelled out. Gabriella looked at Chanel who looked insanely pale and then ran to her mother's cell phone. She quickly dialled in 911 and then got the ambulance. The two girls ran up to their mother and sobbed as they realised that she had gone into a sleep that lasted a lifetime.

_Saturday Afternoon (18__th__ May 1996)_

"Gabriella right?" The woman asked the young girl. Gabriella nodded her eyes puffy and red. Her hair hanging limply at her sides. Her bright eyes now dark. Her smile no longer on her face. Over on the other side of the room a man was asking Chanel the same thing. She like her sister was looking quite rugged as well. She no longer cared for pink outfits, expensive dolls and make-up that was glittery. She just wanted her Mother. Zac stood in the kitchen with a cup of coffee. He didn't want one but the people said that he needed one. He looked at the glass and plates that were on the floor, he could make out the blood on them as well and that made his own blood boil. He walked into the living room and the negative vibe just hit him. It wasn't a living room, more like a dead room. There was no sound of the TV, no kids running around and no aroma of sweet cookies. It was just plain torture. He saw the girls being questioned and noticed their uneasiness. He walked over to Chanel first.

"Excuse me but I don't think she's up to answering questions yet." He said as he took her by the hand and dragged her over to Gabriella with the man on their heels. "C'mon El. I have to get you out of here." He said.

"Sir you can't go they need to answer the questions." The woman said.

"They don't have to answer anything." He said coldly.

"Yeah they do Sir..." The man spoke up.

"Listen Sir they just lost their mother and they don't need to be reminded of the fact that they saw her dead on the ground okay!" He exclaimed and then led the girls outside. They sat down on the front porch.

"Zac?" Someone called. Zac looked up and lost it.

"You!" He yelled walking up to Julio. "You let her go, you forced her to let go. I'll get you I swear I will." He grabbed the collar of Julio's shirt and was about to punch him when two police officers came and pried him away.

"What happened?" He asked. Everyone looked at him. The police officers were amazed at his question.

"Sir your wife committed suicide and you children are upset. Your friend and her brother as he put it is furious. And you're asking what happened? Shame on you Sir." The police officer asked. Julio looked at Zac and saw the hatred in his eyes. He looked over at the twins and even they seemed to have some kind of hatred towards him. He was done for.

**End Flashback**

Gabriella had tears streaming down her face. Troy patted her back lightly and Zac stood up, Vanessa was behind him terrified of what he would do.

"Get your coats back on you two; we're going to make a visit to my best friend." Zac said those last words with a lot of venom in his voice.

**The Montez Household...**

"I loved her a lot you know." Julio said to Celina. Celina looked up at him, he expected to see jealousy but he saw remorse.

"It was kind of our fault you know." She began to say.

"Kind of? How about fully..." He said. "And now I've lost my daughter." He said. The doorbell rang and Julio stood up to go and answer it. When he got there he could make out around four people. He opened the door and came face to face with an old friend.

"Hello Julio." Zac said in a cold voice.

* * *

**Dun Dun Dunnnn!**

**Cliff-hanger There People! Hope Yoo Liked My Extra Long Chapter, Review If Yoo Liked It!**

**Until The Next Update**

**Peacexoxo**


	18. Confrontation: Part One

**I Finally Finished This Chapter! Wow It Took Me Ages To Write It! Sorry About Updating So Late, It's Just That I Had Exams And Then I Was A Bit Lazy But I Managed To Write It, So Without Further Ado, The Next Chapter...**

* * *

Shocked

There are many definitions to the word, but the one that applied to Julio was 'to be struck with fear'. Julio Montez was in other words a coward; he used to be a coward and still was to this day. But he'd never been as scared as he was today. Today he was facing his ex-best friend who looked like he was about to kill him. The coward stepped back, not being able to believe what was clearly in front of him. He blinked once, then twice until he actually believed that he wasn't dreaming and that Zac was actually standing in front of him.

"Zac?" He asked faintly. He still hadn't gotten his head around the fact that Zac was standing at his doorstep. It would at least take him an hour to acknowledge that fact. Zac however just rolled his eyes. He would've guessed that even after all these years; Julio still wouldn't be able to face him like a man. He would cower away and try and act as if nothing had happened.

"Yeah it's me for real." Zac said with his arms crossed. Julio's face was blank for a moment; he didn't know what to think of it. The last time they saw each other, Zac was on the verge of killing him. So what could Julio do now? Just let Zac get away with it or act as if nothing happened. The coward in Julio jumped out again because Julio's face broke out into a grin as if nothing had happened between the two, as if Zac hadn't tried to murder him, as if he hadn't been the reason for Marie's suicide.

"It's been way too long since I last saw you! Come in! You have to stay for tea and..." Julio began to ramble on. Zac raised his eyebrows; it was yet another sign of cowardliness. Hadn't the man or boy learnt anything over these past eleven years? Julio was a 37 year old man and he still hadn't handled the nightmares from his past. It was like Zac with the monster in his closet, at the age of ten! Zac snapped out of his thoughts and came back to reality. Julio was still rambling on about tea and biscuits. But he was soon cut off by Zac's cold voice.

"The last time I saw you was the time my little sister committed suicide all because of you and your mistress who is no doubt sitting inside that house right now. I don't really want to stay for tea because this might just be a way for you to get rid of me, but I will be staying because I have a lot of bones to pick with you." The grown man stepped back and revealed Vanessa, Gabriella and Troy. Julio's moth hung open in shock. He looked at his daughter, his first wife's cousin and his daughter's boyfriend. Then he looked back at Zac.

"Wh-What?" He stuttered. Zac smiled icily.

"Are you just going to stand there or let us in? I want to meet the witch who ruined Marie and Gabriella's lives." Zac said. Julio stepped back and let the four through. Gabriella shuddered as she entered the house. It had just been two days. Two days since she had gotten out of that house. Two days had gone and she still remembered the way the cold hit her when Celina kicked her out. She still remembered the cold faces of her family. She still remembered wishing that her mother were here. Troy sensed that she was uncomfortable when they got to the living room. Maybe it was the memories or maybe it was the fact that they were standing in front of Celina.

"Gabriella! Darling you're back!" Celina acted as if she were happy to see her step-daughter. She stepped forward and tried to engulf Gabriella in a hug. Troy stepped in front of his whimpering girlfriend.

"Don't. Touch. Her." Troy said in a low and dangerous voice. The people in the room turned to face him. He was wearing a very violent expression on his face. He looked like he was about to chop Celina up and feed her to Julio for tea. Celina stepped back, scared of what would happen. Vanessa stepped forward.

"Troy, take her upstairs, help her gather her things." She spoke in a soft, soothing voice that seemed to calm the angry boy down. He stepped back and nodded. He took Gabriella gently by the arm and navigated her out of the room.

"I'll go help..." Chanel was about to escape.

"I don't think so Chanel, we have a lot of things to talk about." Vanessa stopped the twin from escaping. Chanel sighed and then went to take a seat next to her father who was still in a small state of shock. Celina, who was still looking scared, took a seat next to her husband. All three were thinking of what was going to happen next. Zac and Vanessa sat down on the couch opposite them, ready to say what was on their minds and come up with a solution to the problem that had been going on for eleven years on end.

**The Danforth Household...**

Taylor sat at the dining room table opposite Karin Danforth. Chad was beside her and Mr Danforth was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is he?" Karin asked for the hundredth time. Normally Chad would get frustrated with her asking the same question over and over, but right now he was asking the same question himself. He felt someone place their hand over his. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at a sympathetic Taylor.

"Don't worry so much, he's probably at work. You know they always get caught up sometimes." She said soothingly. Chad shook his head.

"No way. We have a fixed time for dinner at this house and Dad never misses it. Ever since Mom left it was always eight o'clock sharp. No matter what's going on, it's always at that time. Something's wrong." Chad explained. Taylor nodded, not knowing what to say to him. There wasn't anything that she could say, apart from comforting his with gestures.

"I can feel it too." Taylor turned her attention to Karin who had just spoken up. Karen was like her older brother in a lot of ways. She had the same fluffy curly hair, but hers wasn't in an afro. They had the same big brown pools for eyes. The eyes that showed compassion and were very friendly at first sight. She had a cute little smile, just like the attractive grin that Chad usually wore on. Both were the same shade of mocha. Both with a bit of their father and snippets of their mother. They also had a really good relationship.

"Look you two, he'll be back. Don't worry." Taylor said even though she wasn't too sure herself.

"Tay's right, he's probably hung up at work and he'll be back in a few minutes or hours. You know how he is when he's at work." Chad said, trying to make the gloomy mood disappear.

"What I'm really worried about is Gabi. Troy sent me a text saying that they were going to do a confrontation." Chad sighed as these words came out of Taylor's mouth. The gloominess was back. Karin looked at the couple in front of her.

"Okay, sad mood is over. Dad's not here to cook, so we should." Chad and Taylor looked at each other and then back at the little girl with a smile.

"That's a good suggestion Karin. Who knew Chad's sister could be smarter than he is." Taylor spoke with sarcasm. Chad chuckled lightly. "Well then we should get started, then we can have everything ready by the time your Dad comes home and my sister comes to collect me." Taylor said looking at the time.

"Did I mention that I love your girlfriend?" Karin asked her brother. Chad laughed as they stood up and made their way towards the kitchen.

"Yeah, about a million times after she said yes to me." Chad said placing an arm around Taylor's waist. Taylor laughed as they entered the Danforth kitchen all ready for a fun night of just...well...having fun!

**The Bolton Household...**

Lucille sat on the living room couch staring at the blank TV screen. It was dinner time, but there was no smell of dinner being made, no pots and pans clanging, no Jack coming home from work and no Troy. Lucille sighed as she looked over the picture of her 18 year old son that was on the windowsill. He was much younger then; the picture was taken two years ago when they went on holiday to Hawaii. His hair was a sort of blonde colour due to the fact that he had begged his mother to let him dye it. His eyes were still forever blue, and there was a slight sparkle in them from the sun. His skin was sun kissed and he looked as handsome as ever. Lucille smiled as she looked at the picture. She adored that picture, it was the only picture that she had framed, copied and sent to all of her relatives, just to show them how her baby boy had grown up.

"Lucy?" Jack called for her from the hall way. Lucille sighed.

"In here." She said simply. Jack walked into the living room and looked at his wife sitting on the couch as if she had nothing to live for.

"Lucy, don't worry, he'll be okay." Jack said, knowing exactly what was on her mind. Lucille sighed and looked at her husband.

"What if something happened to him Jack? What if something happened to him and Gabriella? Then I certainly wouldn't be able to live." She said. Jack sighed and walked over to her. He sat down next to her and placed his hand over hers.

"Lucy, they will be okay. If they're in trouble Troy knows what to do. He's a responsible young boy and he can take care of Gabriella. He has been for the past two days and actually he's been taking care of her ever since he met her. They'll be okay." Jack tried to reassure her.

"But Jack! Sue said that they left with two strangers, people she didn't even recognise. She said that they weren't local people. They looked like they were newcomers. What if that was their motive? To just come and grab my boy?" Lucille said, fearing the worst.

"Lucy-" Jack was about to protest against her previous statement but his niece burst through the door. She was very red, very exhausted and she was also holding five shopping bags. "What happened to you?" Jack asked, getting up and walking over to Jen.

"Nothing, I just ran all the way from the mall." Jen spoke with ragged breaths.

"Didn't you go with Sharpay? She could have driven you home or back here if you wanted to stay for dinner." Lucille asked. Jen nodded.

"Yeah but she had to leave early, she needed to get to her brother, he's going through a phase. Anyway I just hit some extra shops whilst she was gone and then I got your text. So I coming here and then halfway through I met Steven..." Jen paused to let out a small sigh. "...Then I got a text from Troy." She finished off. Lucille jumped up as she heard the last part.

"What did he say?" She asked, rushing over to the young girl.

"He said that he's at Gabi's house with her Uncle and Auntie. They were the two strangers that took them from the care home. And those are the two strangers that are going to help Gabriella. Troy just wanted to be there for her, for moral support. Anyway he said that he might stay at her Uncle's house for the night so he gave me the address and number in case you wanted to contact them" Jen said. Lucille let out a sigh of relief and Jack smiled.

"I told you that you were overreacting." Jack said to his wife. Lucille rolled her eyes.

"No you didn't honey." She replied.

"Well I was going to." Jack stuck his tongue out at her. Lucille rolled her eyes again.

"Immature." She said. Jack shook his head.

"No. So does this mean that you're going to make dinner now? Because I'm starving." Jack said rubbing his stomach.

"Jack, I nearly had a heart attack because I thought that someone took our son and you're worried about dinner." She said. Jack gave her a look.

"Yes?" He answered uncertainly. Lucille rolled her eyes again and Jen watched with amusement as her Uncle and Aunt fought it out.

"They are so much better than cable." She said to herself as she took a seat, relaxed and watched the argument that was in front of her.

**The Evans Household...**

Life was like a rollercoaster. There were the ups and downs. Ryan Evans was sitting in his seat at the dining table putting their 'family dinner' as the downs on the rollercoaster that was his life. He 

looked around the table and sighed. It wasn't even a family dinner. His father wasn't present. He was on his cruise ship going off to England to find a spot where he could build another Lava Springs country club. His mother wasn't present as well. She was having another spa day at the club. She thought that she was working too hard and needed a day off. More like week off. Ryan sighed and placed his fork into his pasta. His sister hadn't even come home yet. And she had told him not to go anywhere. Ryan looked at the people who were actually sitting at the table. There was Charles the butler. Tiara the maid. Henri the cook and Boi, Sharpay's dog. They weren't family, but they acted like it.

"Ryan, are you okay?" Tiara asked, noticing how quiet he had been. Ryan smiled at the use of his first name. It had taken them a while to get used to it but they had finally stopped calling him Master.

"No not really." He answered. Tiara looked worried. "Have you ever felt that the life your living is not worth it? I mean like all the things you do, the things you have, your family, like it's just not...you." Ryan spoke up. He didn't think that anyone would understand what he said, maybe it just sounded better in his head.

"I get what you mean Ryan. I have those days when I think about how life would be if my father hadn't robbed that bank, leaving me and my mother helpless. Like what if I could've been something much more than a maid? I could have been a journalist, but that was thrown out of the window." Tiara was the first one to speak up after Ryan had put forward his view. "Sometimes I just close my eyes and imagine that my dreams were reality and that I wasn't here. But then you open your eyes and realize that the place you're in is the place you're meant to be in. It's just fate and we can't argue with that." Tiara said and poked at her pasta.

"Don't play with your food." Henri said seriously. Tiara nodded and placed the pasta in her mouth. She smiled with satisfaction.

"I'm kind of glad that my family aren't here. I can get to know you guys better. I mean there have been some people who have been a part of our household and I haven't even talked to them. To me, that is unfair. So I want to make this memorable. Plus this pasta is insanely good." Ryan added. Henri smiled.

"Thank you for your compliment Ryan and Tiara." Henri thanked them. The four residents of the table dug into their food. Boi dug into his specially prepared dog food. They laughed and talked throughout the dinner. But just at the end another person burst through the doors of the dining room table.

"Ryan I'm am so sorry I'm late. I had to go to Lava Springs and talk to Mother and-" Sharpay stopped as she set foot into the room. All eyes were on her. Ryan looked at his sister and waited for her reaction. Sharpay just stared at the people sitting at the table. Her brother was having dinner with the people who worked at their house? That was weird. "What is going on here?" She asked. No one spoke up. Charles was the first to get up; he started to gather the plates as usual. Henri stood up as well and turned to walk away. Tiara sighed and stood up; she pulled out a cloth and began to clean the table. Even Boi jumped down from his seat and padded away. Ryan watched everyone in amazement. How could they just get up like that and walk away? It was as if they were afraid of 

Sharpay. Ryan looked at his sister; of course they were afraid of her... she was Sharpay. The young blonde stood up.

"Stop you guys. Stay where you are...even you Boi." The four stopped and looked at Ryan. He moved from his place and walked over towards Boi; he picked up the dog and began to stroke him gently. "Just because Sharpay is here, doesn't mean that you lot have to go? I'd rather sit down and eat with you, because you actually took the time out to sit with me. So now I'm going to disobey Sharpay and do what I like and I'd love it if you lot do that too." He said. Ryan walked past his sister and sat down at the table. Boi jumped out of his hands and then went over to his own bowl of food. Sharpay watched in astonishment as the maid, cook and butler went to sit back down. Ryan looked over at his sister. "Care to join us?" He asked. Sharpay walked over to the table, still in shock. She sat down and Henri put some food on the plate in front of her. Sharpay picked up a fork and began to eat whilst she looked at brother and their employees talk as if they were old friends, or even family.

**The Montez Household...**

Troy was sat on Gabriella's bed, looking at her as she decided on what to pack and what to leave behind. She had pulled out a medium sized duffel bag that was blue and not pink. Troy smiled, Gabriella was never a pink girl anyway she was definitely a blue girl from heart. She opened it up and bit her lip. Troy knew that there were two thoughts running through her mind at that moment. One was how would she decide on what to pack? And the second was what was going on downstairs? He knew that seeing Celina had shook her up and he knew it had an effect on her because it affected him too. His blood boiled at the sight of the woman who brutally threw Gabriella out of, what she thought was, her home. If Vanessa hadn't stepped in then he probably would have lunged at Celina actually scratch that, he would have aimed for Julio. The father who was blatantly a coward. Even Troy could see through his facade of happiness and cool attitude. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at his girlfriend. It looked like she had decided what the most important thing to take was. Because the first thing she placed in her bag was her mother's box. Troy was curious about this box. It was a pretty box, painted in a plain white colour and tattooed with a figure of a ballerina. There were also small pink roses pained on the sides, making it look more beautiful and special.

"What's in there?" Troy blurted out his question. Gabriella looked up at him and saw the curiosity in his eyes, though he tried his best to hide it. He felt a little rotten for just blurting the question out but to his surprise Gabriella smiled. She was happy that he asked that question.

"It's my Mum's special box." She said as she stepped over her bag and walked over to the bed. She sat down next to him and fingered the box in front of her. "It was made by my Granddad way back when she was a little girl. She told me once that it was her most treasured possession and that one day it would be mine." She smiled at the thought of her mother.

"Why yours? I mean why didn't she pass it onto Chanel?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound too negative. Gabriella just simply smiled.

"That was my first question too. But my Mum said that Chanel would just convert it into a jewellery box or make up box of some sort. She also told me that she trusted me to keep it how it was and only put in my truly prized possessions." She held the box close to her. Troy just smiled down at her. It was like the box had a character of its own. Troy wondered about the things she kept in there. It 

was as if Gabriella had read his mind because the next thing she did was open the box. "She also told me to share it with the people I loved and cared about." She smiled up at him. Troy's heart did a somersault, she said she loved him, in a way but she still said it. "I care about you a lot and even though I haven't said it, I do love you a lot because you've been there for me like a lover should be and I care about you a lot. I'm not ready to say the full on love you facade. Do you understand?" She asked, not knowing how he would take this. But Troy felt great hearing what she had already said.

"I totally understand Brie, and that's okay with me because I care a lot for you too." He said and pinched her nose. Gabriella giggled and Troy just grinned. It was nice to hear that again. Gabriella's small hand reached into the box and she pulled out a pendant.

"This belonged to my mother." She said. Troy looked at the pendant in awe. It was beautiful. He looked up at Gabriella's face and saw the twinkle in her eyes as she held the pendant. The chain was a small think string of gold, gold that wasn't bronze or hadn't been blackened. It was pure gold to this day. The actual pendant was made of pure gold itself, and it was quite heavy. There were small carvings on the pendant; they looked as if they'd been hand carved. Troy smiled, the person who made that must have loved Gabriella's mother. One the back there was a small message. 'To Marie...' it read. "It was a gift from my great grandfather. It was the last thing he made before he passed away. My mother loved him to bits and he loved her as well. They were like...like...well like me and Uncle Zac, best friends till the end." She said. Troy pretended to look hurt.

"Ouch Brie, I thought I was your best friend." He said. Gabriella giggled a little.

"You are Troy; you're my best friend and so much more than that. But Uncle Zac got there first and he earned that position. So you're going to have to settle for something more than best friends." Gabriella said. Troy grinned.

"I'd love that." He said and gave her a peck on the lips. Gabriella smiled. She placed the pendant back into the box that contained many other memories. Then she closed it and placed it into her bag. Troy watched as she began to pack her clothes. She was just going through her closet deciding on which ones were worth it and which ones weren't. He looked at her bedside table and noticed that there was a small blue book on it. He picked it up and looked at Gabriella, as if he was asking for permission. Gabriella blinked once and then nodded. He opened up the book and the first thing he saw was a picture of Troy, Gabriella and the rest of the gang.

"That's my favourite picture." She said from inside her closet. Troy looked down at the picture and saw that everyone was paired off. Chad had his arm around Taylor and she had her head resting on his chest. Sharpay was seated in Zeke's lap and his head was on her shoulder. Jason and Kelsi had their arms wrapped around one another. Martha and Ryan were standing up, one either side of the tree. Troy was seated next to Chad and Gabriella was seated in between Troy's legs with her back resting on his chest. They were all sitting in front of the big tree at East High, it was their favourite hangout. Troy grinned as he placed it back in the book. He turned the page and saw some writing.

"I couldn't tell you why she felt that way, she felt it everyday..." He recited. Gabriella stuck her head out of the closet and ran over to him. She took the book from his hands and held it close to her. "They're lyrics aren't they?" He asked. She nodded. "Come on, sing me something." He said. Gabriella shook her head.

"No I don't have a good voice." She said. Troy laughed.

"Brie you have an amazing voice. I've heard it three times now. Once on that day we hung out here and we almost kissed..." He said, Gabriella blushed a little at the thought. "Second time was when we sang 'You Are The Music In Me' for Kelsi." He noticed Gabriella smile at that memory. "And lastly when we had that big sleepover at Sharpay's house. Remember? You want a piece of me? You were stripping in the streets while getting groceries?" He said. Gabriella giggled at his choice of words. They were the same ones she sang that night.

"Okay fine." She said. Troy clapped and smiled as she opened up the book.

"_I couldn't tell you why she felt that way,  
She felt it every day.  
And I couldn't help her,  
I just watched her make the same mistakes again._

_What's wrong, what's wrong now?  
Too many, too many problems.  
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.  
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.  
It's where she lies, broken inside.  
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.  
Broken inside."_ Troy just looked at her as she sang; he didn't know what was going through her mind at that moment.

"_Open your eyes and look outside, find the reasons why.  
You've been rejected, and now you can't find what you left behind.  
Be strong, be strong now.  
Too many, too many problems.  
Don't know where she belongs, where she belongs.  
She wants to go home, but nobody's home.  
It's where she lies, broken inside.  
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.  
Broken inside._

_Her feelings she hides.  
Her dreams she can't find.  
She's losing her mind.  
She's fallen behind.  
She can't find her place.  
She's losing her faith.  
She's fallen from grace.  
She's all over the place.  
Yeah, oh._" Gabriella's eyes were filled with tears as she sang. Troy was still unaware of what she feeling, all he could feel was sadness.

"Brie..." He started to say, but she didn't stop.

"_She wants to go home, but nobody's home.  
It's where she lies, broken inside.  
With no place to go, no place to go to dry her eyes.  
Broken inside._

_She's lost inside; lost inside...oh, oh yeah  
She's lost inside, lost inside...oh, oh yeah._" She stopped singing and let the tears fall. Troy picked up the book and closed it, and then he threw it over to where her bag was, he knew that she'd want to take it with her. He looked over at her and sighed. She was now a mess. Her eyes were red and puffy; her breaths were short and raspy. The colour on her face had gone and there were tears flowing everywhere.

"Brie...shush." He whispered and he took her into his arms. Gabriella threw her arms around him and just fell onto him. Troy just held her tightly, knowing that she was depending on him to be there for her. He knew that she was feeling very emotional and now he realized what those song lyrics were to her. They represented her story.

* * *

**Aw! Troy Is So Kind. Anyway This Is Not All Of The Chapter! It Was Too Long So I Decided To Split It Up Into Two Parts! So The Next Part Is Up As Well And Enjoy! Because I Have A Feeling You'll Like The Little Twist That Happens Next...Dun Dun Dunnnn :)**


	19. Confrontation: Part Two

**The Second Part...**

* * *

**Downstairs...**

Zac looked up at Julio for the hundredth time in those few minutes. He didn't know where to start. Should he start with Marie or Gabriella? He didn't know which one was more important at the moment because both meant so much to him even though one was alive and one...was not. Vanessa looked over at her husband and sighed, he was still battling everything out in his head. She turned to her husband's ex-best friend.

"So do you have anything to say?" She asked. Zac looked up at her, as did Julio.

"What do I have to say?" He asked. Vanessa looked at him in disbelief.

"Well I'd start with a sorry if I were you. Do you know how much grief you caused our family? Marie's mother went crazy after hearing about her death. Her father almost killed himself after hearing about his baby girl. That family was broken and now they aren't even in this world anymore. The twins haven't only lost their mother, the person who cared for them so much, but they've also lost their grandparents! Oh and I thought you'd like to know that your parents were pretty darn mad when they heard what had happened. They came to our house in shame, hoping that they could ask for forgiveness because you didn't. Of course they were turned down and the whole neighbourhood looked at them with hate. So they moved away, and disowned you. Am I right?" She added. Julio looked down in shame. "So you lost them their mother, and their two sets of grandparents. Just so you could keep that whorebag to yourself. How bloody selfish are you?" She looked at him with hate, ready to get up and slap him for what he had done. Zac placed his hand on her knee as if to calm her down.

"Babe, he's not worth it." He said with venom in his words. Celina looked at Vanessa in anger.

"Excuse me Miss Malibu Barbie, I am not a whorebag. Just because I took back the man who was rightfully mine, doesn't make me a whorebag." She said standing up. Vanessa narrowed her eyes at the green-eyed nuisance.

"He wasn't rightfully yours. Legally he was Marie's because he vowed to love her forever and ever. Unlike what he said to you. It was just a simple. I'll take care of her, just skip to the I do's." She said. Celina gasped.

"Excuse me..." She began to say.

"You're excused, so shut the hell up." Zac's deep voice entered the conversation. Vanessa sat back down, knowing that her man would take it from there.

"You can't tell me to shut up, who do you think you are?" Celina asked with fury.

"My name is Zac; I think I'm Marie's brother and Gabriella's Uncle. I'm also the guy who could turn you in for child abuse. How many years do you think that'll be? A good four or five I'm guessing." He added. Celina shut up, knowing that he was more powerful in this situation. "Thank you Miss Whore." He said as she sat down. He cast his unforgiving eyes onto Julio who looked like a deer faced with headlights. Wide eyes and a stupid expression was what he wore. "Okay then. Let's sort this out. Julio Montez, eleven years ago you cheated on my little sister without acknowledging the consequences of your actions. Those consequences were suicide. Marie committed suicide and the 

twins were heartbroken." He glanced at Chanel. "Well at least one of them was and still is. Then you married Celina de Ville over here and made life even worse for your girls. You neglected them and were so visually impaired that you didn't notice that the Ugly Stepsister you call a wife was abusing one of them. The one who failed to accept her in your eyes. But why should she have accepted this evil witch? In Gabi's eyes Celina is a murderer. She is also a home wrecker, she separated the twins and they used to be so close so separating them is going to be added to your list of offences." He said. Vanessa smiled at her husband. When he had left San Francisco eleven years ago he had trained to become a lawyer so that one day he could make a difference for those people who were in the same situations as Marie and now Gabriella. She thought he was doing a wonderful job and that Julio and Celina were getting exactly what they deserved. "Okay moving on. Celina and surprisingly Chanel have been making Gabriella's life hell ever since she was ten!" He exclaimed. Julio took in a deep breath and stood up.

"Look Zac, you can't just come into my house and start accusing people of things. You can't say that my wife has been torturing her stepdaughter for years because that's not true. You can't say that my daughter hates her sister or hated her because that's not true as well. You can't just come in here and tell me what you think about my family!" He said. Celina smiled glad that her husband had stood up for her, whereas Chanel frowned at the fact that her father was clearly lying.

"I'm not telling you what I think. I'm telling you what I know." Zac answered. Vanessa smiled in triumph as Julio tried to think of what to say.

"Yeah well do you care to elaborate? You do think you know everything, I might as well hear how far your knowledge of my family expands." Julio said calmly. Zac looked at Vanessa with one of his eyebrows raised.

"Is he serious?" He asked. Vanessa looked at Julio and saw that he was just faking it. He was just trying to act calm and collected but really he was scared and Vanessa was glad about that.

"He seems to look serious but we all know that Julio isn't always as calm as he looks." She said. Zac nodded.

"Good point. Well then Julio, let's just look back at the things you've done. Maybe you'll feel awful about them when you hear them." Zac said. He remembered everything Gabriella had told them and he was going to bring Julio down because he owed that much to his dead sister.

**The Neilson Household...**

Kelsi brought to steaming mugs of coffee over to the kitchen table. She set them down in front of her Grandmother and her father. She then pulled out her own chair from the table and sat down. Hermione and Carter looked over at the young girl.

"So honey, what's on your mind?" Hermione started off the conversation. Kelsi sighed.

"A lot I guess. I mean so many things are happening at once and I can't handle them all at once. It's like a brain overflow." Kelsi said placing two fingers of each hand on her forehead.

"Well, why don't you go through each one of them with us? Maybe we could help." Carter suggested. Kelsi smiled.

"That would be great." She said, glad that they were getting somewhere. She took a sip of her hot chocolate and then sighed. "Well I might as well address the biggest issue first-" She began to say.

"Yes, seeing your mother after all this time must have had a big effect on you." Hermione said. Kelsi looked at her in confusion.

"Grandma, what are you talking about? Mom turning up isn't a really big thing at the moment. I've got bigger things to deal with." She said. Hermione nodded and Carter wondered what was more shocking than her mother turning up. "You know my friend Gabriella?" Kelsi said.

"Yes I remember her. She came around for tea one day and she was very polite and helpful. Such a beauty as well, she looked very exotic. Plus she was a nice girl, definitely a good friend for Kelsi." Hermione said, speaking to Carter more than Kelsi.

"Yeah her." Kelsi nodded. "Well...she's being abused." She said. Hermione's jaw dropped and Carter spit out his tea. Kelsi stood up and ran to get a cloth to clean up the mess he had created.

"What?!" Hermione said as she watched her granddaughter clean up Carter's tea.

"Yeah you heard right Grandma. She's being abused by her step-mother. Ever since she came to East High, everyone noted that there was something different about her. But we didn't know that it was a bad different. But her family are so evil and I hate them a lot because they've put such a lovely and fragile girl through so much pain. Her step-mother is just the source of it all. Her sister is like a puppet being controlled by her step-mother. And her father is a spineless coward who can't stand up to his own wife. What kind of man is he?" Kelsi said. Carter watched as she rubbed the table harder and harder.

"Kelli, relax. If you press any harder you'll create a hole in our table." He said placing his hand over hers. Kelsi stopped wiping the table immediately.

"Kelsi, how long have you known this?" Hermione asked. Kelsi thought for a moment.

"About two days. Gabriella kept it a secret for a long time. She was good at hiding her bruises, making stories up for why she couldn't come out and excuses for not swimming. Troy found out a week ago I think and he didn't tell anyone either. So, me and the rest of the gang figured it out ourselves." Kelsi told them as she placed the cloth back in its place.

"I think that you should leave them to it then." Carter said. Kelsi looked at him.

"I can't Dad. Troy is like my brother and Gabriella is like my really good friend." She said.

"Kelsi, you can't involve yourself in their problems, it's not your problem. You just have to be supportive and know that they can figure it out themselves because that's the best option. The more you involve yourself, the more you fall deeper into it and then in the end you can't get yourself out of it. Don't make that mistake." Carter said. Kelsi nodded, knowing that he was sort of right and that it would be useless in trying to go up against him.

"Okay. The second problem is mainly Mum, but I guess I have to sort that out with her instead. Then there's Jason. I like him a lot so when he comes, please don't go all police force protective on him." Kelsi said aiming that last part towards her father. Carter put his hands up in surrender.

"Okay relax, I'll maintain myself." He said with a smile. Kelsi laughed and continued to sip her drink and have the most relaxing conversation with her family, one she hadn't had in months.

**The Baylor Household...**

"Mum! I'm home!" Zeke yelled out as he stepped into his house. He walked on further into the house and stopped at the kitchen. His mother was usually cooking up a nice and tasty meal at this time. But she wasn't there. "Mum?" Zeke called out again. He went into the living room and saw the TV was switched on but there was no one present in the room. Zeke snatched up the remote from the table and switched the TV off, mumbling something about 'wasting energy'. He sighed as he realized that she wasn't home. He walked out if the living room and then made his way towards his bedroom. He opened the door and walked in, wondering what he was going to do for the remainder of the day. He sat down on his bed and his phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?" He said.

"Hey Zeke." Sharpay spoke up. Zeke smiled.

"Hey baby, what are you doing?" He asked. He heard her sigh on the other end.

"Just sitting I guess. Ryan's gone a bit whack. He's eating with the chef, butler, maid and my dog." She told him. Zeke nodded, even though he didn't know why it was wrong, he still tried to say something to make her feel better.

"Well why don't you talk to him? Try and get him to tell you what's really going on? That really helps a lot." Zeke told his blonde girlfriend. Sharpay nodded and then realized that Zeke couldn't see her.

"Okay." She said. "I'll try talking to him. He's been a bit quiet lately, so something must be running through his mind. I just hope he's okay." She sounded really concerned.

"Go talk to him and then call me back." Zeke said.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks babe." Sharpay said as she hung up. Zeke placed the phone back on his desk. He laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

"Zeke! I'm home!" He heard his mother call out for him. He jumped off the bed and ran downstairs.

"Hey Mom." He said as he walked into the kitchen. Maria Baylor smiled at her only son.

"Hey Zeke, where were you?" She asked him as she unloaded the grocery bags.

"I was with Dad; he needed my help with the car, so I just chilled out with him for a bit." He told her as he helped her put the items away. Maria smiled.

"That's great honey; at least you and your Dad are having some quality time together. How is he anyway?" She asked.

"He's all good." Zeke replied with a smile. He loved the fact that his parents still cared about each other. Sure they had gotten divorced but they were still friends and Zeke was just glad about that.

**The Danforth Household...**

Taylor grabbed a cloth off the kitchen table and wiped a speck of flour off Chad's face. He smiled at her in return.

"Thanks babe." He said. Taylor nodded.

"It's okay." She said as she walked over to the kitchen sink and rinsed out the cloth. "That was fun and Karin had a good time." She said as she began to wash the dishes. Chad walked over to her so he could help.

"Yeah she was enjoying herself a lot, way more than usual. I guess after Mom passed away we never really had days like this. So it was both relieving and fun for her." He told his girlfriend.

"That's great Chad. I'm sure she'll keep on having fun with a brother like you." She said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Chad smiled.

"Thanks Tay. But sometimes I wonder if my anger problems will get the best of me. I mean after yesterday's events I just felt like kicking the crap out of someone. That's not a good feeling for me. It used to be..." He said as he dried off another dish.

"Chad, you're not violent anymore and even if you feel like hitting someone, you never do. You have control now and that's all that matters." Taylor said.

"I have you as well, and you're way more powerful than me having control. You keep me levelled Tay." Chad said. Taylor stopped what she was doing and looked at him with a genuine smile on her face.

"That was the sweetest thing you've said to me." She said and then reached up to kiss him. Chad smiled into the kiss. He had always wanted to be with Taylor and now he was with her, it was like a dream come true. But before he was with her, he had a little bit of a problem. A violent problem but thanks to Taylor that was all gone because he learnt how to be in control and she was always his inspiration.

**The Evans Household...**

"What's going on with you Ryan? You seem so...out of character." Sharpay said as she looked over at her brother who was wearing a sad expression on his face.

"Nothing's going on with me Sharpay..." Ryan began to say.

"Do you really expect me to fall for that piece of bull?" Sharpay cut him off. Ryan sighed and looked up at her. She was really worried about him.

"No I don't expect you to fall for it...I was just hoping that you would." He mumbled. Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"You know you can't lie to me Ryan, I'm your twin sister, I know you." She said. This time it was Ryan's turn to roll his eyes.

"You don't know me at all Sharpay, you just know the guy I am on the outside, not who I am on the inside." He told her. Sharpay looked at him, trying to acknowledge what he was saying.

"Ryan...Ry, I'm trying to help you, I'm trying to understand. But I'm not really getting anywhere because you won't open up to me." Sharpay told him. She sounded extremely desperate but Ryan wasn't saying anything.

"Sharpay...I have to go..." He said standing up.

"No! You're going to tell me what's wrong because I want to help." She said as she grabbed him and pushed him so that he sat on the chair. Ryan sighed.

"Look Sharpay, I'm just going through some things and you won't be able to help me with them because it's just something I have to do myself." He explained. Sharpay sighed and then sat down next to him.

"After hearing about Gabriella's problems I've been noticing our own problems at home. But your problem is the one I care about the most because you've always been there for me Ry. Back when I was a cold hearted bitch, I used to take advantage of you and use you but you never blew up in my face or left me to fend for myself, you stuck by me and sort of helped me get out of that phase. Then you hooked me up with some amazing friends. I am where I am today all because of you Ry. You're my brother and my best friend so please tell me what's wrong." Sharpay pleaded. Ryan looked over at his sister and saw that she had tears in her eyes. He smiled at her slightly.

"Shar, the only thing wrong with me is that I've been noticing how my perfect life isn't so perfect. Dad is always in a different country than us. Mum is always at the country club. The only people who are actually in our house are the employees and they don't even live here! They're more like family than my own parents! I'm just tired of pretending that things are okay because they're not." Ryan told her. Sharpay nodded.

"I get that Ry, I totally do because I've realized that myself. But one thing I have to say is that even though your life is not perfect, it's not as messed up as Gabriella's. At least our father calls when he's abroad, and he brings back lovely presents that show that he's been thinking about us. Our Mother may spend all her time at the club but she's always had our back. She always comes when we call. And at least you've got me. I may be harsh on you but that's just the way I am. And I'm fine as long as I've got you because, like I said, you're my best friend. So your life may not be perfect Ry but it's not terrible either." Sharpay told him. Ryan looked at her and nodded.

"You're right Shar, I guess I'm just thinking too much and making it out to be worse than it actually is." He said. Sharpay smiled and hugged her brother.

"Okay, so at least we've got that sorted. Let's go see if Chef has some Pasta left over from dinner, because it was absolutely divine." Sharpay said and stood up. Ryan laughed and stood up as well and then followed her out of the room. As he walked behind his sister, he thought about what she had said. His life was perfect compared to Gabriella's. He had a mother and father who loved him. In fact 

now that he thought about it, his parents were always thinking about them. His father was going abroad just so he could expand their business and that way Ryan and Sharpay wouldn't have to worry about what they would do after their father had gone and it was the same with their mother. At the end of it all Ryan was just glad to have the kind of family that he had, plus a wicked Chef who made amazing Pasta!

**The Montez Household...**

Vanessa watched as the water boiled in the kettle. She was standing in the kitchen preparing some tea for her husband and Julio's family. She didn't want to prepare anything for them but she had to, it was called being polite. But now that she thought about it, she didn't have to be polite because they were everything but polite so why should she act any different towards them?

"Yeah I'm just going to be in the..." Vanessa looked at the door and frowned. "...kitchen." She watched Chanel finish off her sentence. The young girl stood in the doorway for a few seconds, wondering if she should enter or leave. Vanessa just carried on as normal. So Chanel decided that she would do the same. There was an awkward silence in the kitchen as the two girls did what they had to do. The only sound in the room was the whistling of the kettle. Vanessa picked up the white kettle and poured some hot water into each of the yellow cups she had placed on the worktop. She grabbed a couple of teabags and shoved them into the cups and then watched as the clear water slowly turned black. Chanel eyed her Aunt as she picked out some nice biscuits for them to eat with the tea. Vanessa placed all of the mugs on a tray with milk and sugar, she picked up the tray and was about to walk out. "Aunt Vanessa." Chanel called out. Vanessa turned to face her.

"Yeah?" She asked. Chanel looked at her feet.

"Urm...I'm...well...I'm sorry." She said. Vanessa raised an eyebrow. "I'm really sorry and I've already apologized to Gabriella and her friends." Chanel went on to say.

"Did Gabi forgive you?" Vanessa asked. Chanel sighed miserably.

"No..." She replied. Vanessa nodded, knowing that Gabriella wouldn't have accepted the apology.

"Well if Gabi hasn't forgiven you then I can't either because right now I think she needs me to be on her side more than you do." Vanessa said and then walked out of the kitchen. Chanel followed her quietly all the way to the living room. Vanessa kicked the door open with her foot and entered the room where Julio, Zac and Celina were seated. She gave Zac a small smile before placing the tray on the table next to where Zac was seated. She grabbed two mugs and poured in the milk with sugar. She handed one to Zac and took one for herself.

"Cheers V." He said whilst taking a sip of the tea. He smiled in satisfaction. "That is some good tea, yours was always the best." He said winking at her. Vanessa smiled and blushed. Even after all these years Zac was still able to make her blush and that was how she could tell that Zac was the one for her.

"So are you going to say anything or are you just going to sit there sipping your tea and flirting with your wife? I mean that's a bit immature for a 38 year old man." Celina snorted. Zac looked at her with fury in his eyes.

"Flirting with my wife just shows that we're still in love. I guess it's like you and Julio. Even though he was married you still flirted with him and he did the same back, indicating that you were still in love. But you just forgot that there was another person involved. You didn't even care." Zac spat at her. Celina just rolled her eyes.

"I don't know why you're still upset over that...whatever her name was. She gone, dead, vanished off the face of Earth. So get over it." She said. Vanessa gasped a little at what Celina had just said. She looked over at Julio and saw that he wore a shocked look on his face, and then she turned to Zac and saw that his eyes had turned a deadly colour. Almost black. That was never a good sign.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that...!" Zac said standing up. "...Her name was Marie and she was a hell of a lot prettier than you. She was smarter than you. Nicer than you. She was just plain brilliant. That's why you couldn't bear to see her because you knew that she was ten times better than you. That Julio had left you for someone who was way better than you, and you couldn't take it! Oh and you knew he was married so why couldn't you get over him? Pretend that he was gone, dead, vanished off the face of the Earth. Why couldn't YOU get over it?" By the end of his speech Zac was on fire. Celina stood up, matching his exact move to what she had previously said.

"Why should I have to forget him? Just tell me why? Just because he got knocked up by some girl at the party you held doesn't mean that I have to forget him. I saw him first, he was mine from the start. She needed to know that. She had to back off and what happened wasn't all down to me okay. She should've known that I wasn't going to let go of him so easily. I mean he was all I had! What else would I live for? WHO else would I live for?" Celina yelled back.

"Your own kid." Zac said calmly. Celina's eyes widened at what he had just said.

"Wh-What did you say?" She asked, not believing what she had heard.

"You heard me the first time. I don't think I need to repeat that again." Zac said and then sat down. Vanessa patted his knee, knowing that he didn't want to bring that up.

"Celina, what is he talking about?" Julio asked, finally coming out of his shock.

"Nothing." She replied in a quiet voice. Chanel eyed her step-mother. Celina was never quiet, she was always quite loud. So there must have been some truth to what Zac had just...revealed. There was a wave of silence in the living room of the Montez household. No one knew what to say. Julio looked at Chanel who was looking at Vanessa who was looking at Zac who was glaring at Celina who was looking at her feet. No one moved, no one said anything. The only sound that could be heard in the room was the tick-tock of the clock and also a light thud. The thud got louder as the seconds past and then the door flew open. Troy walked in with Gabriella clutching his arm. Troy was also holding her duffel bag in his free hand. They stopped as they entered the room.

"Maybe we should have waited another few seconds." Troy whispered to his girlfriend. Gabriella nodded in response. Her tears were now gone and so where her puffy eyes. In fact it didn't look like she had been crying at all. The couple scuttled over to Vanessa and sat down next to her.

"What's going on?" Gabriella asked her Aunt. Vanessa looked at Gabriella and sighed. Then she looked around at everyone else. No one was willing to speak up first so Vanessa thought that she 

should go ahead and do the honour of bringing Celina back down to Earth and possibly out of the Montez's lives.

"Eighteen years ago in San Francisco Julio and Celina broke up. Celina was the dumper saying that she needed her space and that it was only for a limited amount of time. Julio was devastated so Zac decided to cheer him up by holding his annual bash a little earlier than usual. Julio showed up, even though he was still upset and that's where he met Marie." Vanessa began to say. Celina looked up with worry in her eyes, Vanessa felt as if Celina was begging her to shut up but Vanessa couldn't stop now. She needed to do this for Zac, for Gabriella, for Chanel, for Julio and for Marie. "They had a great time together and just enjoyed being with each other. Julio was ecstatic that he was with another girl and he was enjoying himself. But he had told Zac that he didn't want to go with another girl because Celina would kill him if she found out. Zac told him that Celina would be off with another guy so Julio shouldn't worry. So Julio went and did what he done and produced the twins, only he didn't know that. He also didn't know that Celina was in fact seeing another guy. She had been seeing this other guy for a couple of months, even when she was with Julio. And that guy was Julio's teammate Rocky from college." Vanessa said. Julio's eyes widened as she went on with the story. "They were very intimate with each other and soon enough, Celina fell pregnant with Rocky's child." Vanessa took a deep breath as she revealed the main secret in the story. Zac's face stayed cold, Gabriella and Troy looked shocked. Chanel had dropped her glass of coke. Julio just sat there, wide eyed. Not knowing what to say. Celina just sat down knowing that she had nothing to say anymore. "So Celina broke up with Julio saying that she needed space, when really she needed to leave so that she could carry out her pregnancy. A few months later her child was born prematurely and Celina left the hospital with her child and returned to Julio. The rest has already been told." Vanessa said and then sat down.

"What was the baby's gender? The name? How old is it now?" Gabriella asked.

"It was a girl. They called her Hope Serena Turner. She's eighteen now and living with her father Rocky in Florida. That's how we found out about her, because we went to stay with Rocky for a bit." Vanessa told her. "And she's coming to visit us and her mother tomorrow."

* * *

**Dun Dun Dunnn**

**Just Wanted To Add That Again :) For Dramatic Effect :P**

**Anyway I Hope Yoo Like It Because It Took Me Ages To Write It!**

**So Please Review And Make My Day!**

**Until My Next Update**

**Peace xoxo**


	20. Making The Right Decisions

**When I Said A Week, I Meant A Week & A Bit! Sorry About The Wait, I Had So Many Things To Do & Not Much Time To Write, But I've Posted This Chapter & That's Good Enough!**

**So Read On, Enjoy & Review!**

* * *

There was pure silence in the room. No one spoke, no one moved; it was like time had stopped all together. Julio had taken two steps back and landed on the couch with a slight thud. His eyes wide with shock, his face extremely pale and his heart...broken. Chanel looked at her father and then back to Celina, the glass in her hand fell to the ground with a crash, splattering glass everywhere. Gabriella jumped at the noise of the glass shattering; she stepped back and rested her head on Troy's chest, letting his hand link with hers. Troy squeezed her hand, trying to lessen the shock of what had just been revealed. Zac looked at Troy, Gabriella, Chanel and Julio and then at Vanessa. The expressions they wore were the ones that the couple predicted. They knew that after everything was done and the existence of Hope was revealed, the Montez family and their friends were in for a shock. Vanessa smiled slightly at her husband and then looked over at Celina whose face had turned pale. The sparkle in her eyes had disappeared. The fire and anger in her heart had been replaced by regret and guilt. She looked a lot less scary and more vulnerable. She opened her mouth slightly and gathered the strength to speak.

"What?" Everyone turned to face her. "What are you talking about?" She asked again with a little bit more power in her voice. Vanessa looked straight into Celina's eyes and saw the fear that was clearly evident in them.

"You heard right. We know about Rocky and we know about Hope. So you can't deny anything now." Vanessa replied. Celina looked as if someone had punched her in the stomach, twice over.

"S-So she lied to us?" Vanessa turned to face Chanel and then nodded.

"She lied to your father first and then she continued to lie to you." Vanessa spoke, almost feeling sorry for Julio and Chanel. After all they were the ones that were closest to her and they were the ones she had lied to the most. Chanel felt tears form in her eyes and she looked down at her feet. There were pieces of shattered glass everywhere, she looked up at her father and pictured the shattered pieces of his heart scattered all over the place just like the glass. Chanel choked back a sob.

"I-I have to clear this up." She said quickly and then ran out of the room. Gabriella sighed as she watched her twin run out.

"She's hurt." She whispered quietly, Troy squeezed her hand softly.

"I would be hurt if I were her." He whispered back. They watched silently as Chanel entered the room again with a brush and pan to sweep up the pieces of glass. She gathered all the pieces and then exited the room again, going to find a place to dump them. Celina watched her in regret; she turned around to face Julio and sighed. He was still silent.

"Will he be okay?" Troy asked. Zac nodded slightly.

"He's just shocked and hurt." The older man replied knowing exactly what was running through Julio's mind. Gabriella looked at her father and she felt his pain. She sighed as Chanel came back into 

the room. She had disposed of the brush, pan, and pieces of glass and was now heading towards her father.

"Dad? You okay? Dad?" She asked him quietly, she knew the answer was a no but she just wanted to hear him speak. But unfortunately Julio was still silent, unaware that his daughter was striving for him to just say a yes or a no or just anything. "Dad please say something." She was begging him now. Julio eyes moved towards her and he saw the helpless look on her face. He let out a small sigh and then stood up. He gave Celina a hurt look and then exited the room. All six people could hear him stomping up the stairs, marching through the hallway, slamming his door and landing with a thud on his bed.

"Is he going to be okay?" Gabriella was the one to ask this time. Zac sighed.

"At this point I don't know..." Zac's sentence trailed off.

"...He's in a state of shock, given the news he's heard I wouldn't expect anything less or more from him." Vanessa finished off. Celina looked at her with a hard glare.

"So why the hell did you tell him?" She demanded to know. Vanessa looked at Celina with narrowed eyes.

"Because he deserved to know what was going on behind his back. Besides he would have found out sooner nor later but in this case sooner is better. But don't ask me why the hell I didn't tell him. You should ask yourself why the hell you cheated on him with one of his friends! Then you get all mad when you realize that he found someone else as well. You need to get your story straight for when he comes for an explanation and I know that he will." Vanessa yelled at Celina. The other woman stayed quiet for a moment, like she was analyzing what had just been said.

"I didn't think about that...about what he would day when he found out...it just slipped my mind..." Celina spoke a few seconds later. Her eyes were filled with tears but Vanessa didn't feel any sympathy for her at all. She made her own bed, and now she had to lie in it. Celina sighed a little, realizing that everything she had schemed for was falling apart right in front of her eyes.

"It's shouldn't have slipped your mind." All eyes turned to Chanel. She was seething with anger. Gabriella had never seen Chanel so angry, even Troy looked a little taken aback. "You should have thought about everything before you came back into my Dad's life! You should have thought about that when you made him cheat on my mother. You should have thought about that when you made her give up her life! You should have thought about that each and every time you hit Gabriella, each and every time you swore at her, called her worthless. When in fact you're the worthless one! You lied and manipulated people just so that you could get back someone that was never truly yours in the first place. You left your daughter in a hospital and ran away like a worthless shit. You're the coward here Celina! You are!" The anger and hatred got stronger with every word she took. Gabriella looked at her sister with worry.

"Troy she's going nuts!" She told her boyfriend. Troy nodded helplessly. What could he do? Nothing. Vanessa looked back at her husband and then at the two teens who were watching Chanel with worry. She had to do something.

"B-But Chanel honey..." Celina tried to say.

"Don't call me honey, only my mother was allowed to call me that and you are not her and will never live up to be like her." Chanel snapped at Celina. The older woman gasped a little, everything was definitely falling apart around her. The respect Chanel had for her had vanished and Chanel's love followed. Zac smiled a little, feeling a bit bad about enjoying Celina's downfall, but feeling glad that it was actually happening. "I can't believe that I thought that you actually cared about me actually scratch that I thought that you actually cared about Dad! All those memories you shared with me made me think that you actually cared about him but hearing about Hope and Rocky makes me feel sick!" Chanel yelled some more. Gabriella found the courage to go and stand next to her sister.

"I think this has proved that you're just a lying, cheating, conniving bi-" Gabriella said, with each word she spoke her voice got louder and louder, until Troy cut her off.

"Brie she's not worth it." He spoke calmly and placed his arm around her. He looked at Chanel. "She's not worth your time and words either. I think that right now, you've proved where your loyalty lies and it's definitely not with her." He pointed a finger at Celina who just looked away.

"He's right." Zac spoke up. "She's not worth anything. She used to be a long time ago but now all I see in her is a murderer, a deadbeat mother and a child abuser. That's all there is left of Celina Montez." He finished off. They all sat in silence for a few minutes and Celina sighed. She opened the door and began to make her way towards her bedroom.

"Don't you dare step into my father's room! The guest room is where you'll be sleeping tonight." Chanel said. Celina looked at her and was about to retaliate when Vanessa stepped up behind Chanel.

"You should do as she says because each one of us in this room can get you done for child abuse so if you actually want to live then I suggest you do as she says." Vanessa said. Celina sighed miserably. Chanel smiled at her Aunt.

"Thanks. But I guess you should be going now. Hope's coming tomorrow and you have to collect her. I honestly can't wait to meet her and I hope that she's nothing like Celina." Chanel added. Vanessa smiled a little.

"She's nothing like her. So you get some sleep and we'll be back in the morning." Vanessa said and then motioned for the rest to get up. Zac walked up to Chanel and gave her a light hug.

"You did good kid." He said to her. Chanel smiled and then looked over at Gabriella who was hanging onto Troy.

"Bye Gabriella." She said.

"Bye Chan..." Gabriella replied before walking out. Troy gave her a little smile and Chanel returned it. She closed the front door and smiled. Maybe things were going to get better. She let out a sigh and then made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom. She closed the door and then walked over to her bed. She pulled out a picture frame and smiled at the woman staring back at her.

"I love you Mom." She said quietly. Just then her mobile phone rang. Chanel picked it up. "Hello."

"Hey Chan..." Chanel's face broke out into a smile.

"Hey Dan." She replied.

"Well I have some wicked news." He said. Chanel nodded.

"Go on..." She waited for him to continue.

"I'm coming to Albuquerque! I'm in the airport now and I'm on my way there. With Bella!" He announced. Chanel smiled even more if that was possible.

"That's amazing!" She said. It would be great to have Dan over just to help her with what was going to happen. She talked to him for another few minutes and then hung up because he needed to board the plane. Chanel laid her head on her pillow and smiled. Tomorrow was going to be one heck of a day!

**The Next Morning**

**The Danforth Household...**

Chad woke up the next morning and groaned as the light hit him. He shifted about in his bed before sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He leaned on the headboard of his bed and rubbed the last of the sleep out of his eyes. He let out a small sigh and then reached for his mobile phone. He switched it on and checked if he had any messages. Troy had left him a series of messages telling him about the happenings of the day before. Chad's eyes widened with each word he read. He was just about to ring Troy back, but he heard a soft knock on his door.

"Yeah?" He asked thinking that it was his father. David hadn't been at home when Chad went up to bed last night. He just hoped that his father was home and not in any trouble at all.

"Chad..." A small and scared voice made Chad jump out of his bed and run over to the door. He opened the door and bent down to face his frightened sister.

"What's wrong Karin?" He asked as he looked at her face. She had gone a little pale and there were tears in her eyes.

"Dad..." She began to say. Chad nodded and gestured for her to continue. "He's home. But he's drunk." Those two words hit Chad hard. He almost fell over. Karin looked at her brother in sorrow. She knew that he would take it hard, he was always like this when alcohol was involved, but she had to tell him because he would know how to work everything out. Chad just sat on the floor and stared up at Karin.

"H-He's drunk?" He repeated her words in a more question like manner. Karin just nodded.

"He came home just an hour ago and I was awake because Hannah Montana was on and I didn't want to miss it. He came through the door and just started banging on things and sort of throwing things about. He pushed me off the sofa and then just crashed there with a bottle in his hand." Karin's eyes filled with tears as she remembered what had happened. Chad's fists curled up into two tiny balls as he listened to his sister.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" He asked her. Karin looked away.

"I thought he was fooling around and I didn't want you to worry. I didn't want you to be angry with him." She told him.

"Why shouldn't I be angry with him? He pushed you off the couch and then crashed there himself! What kind of father does that to his daughter?" Chad asked. Karin shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe one who's under the influence of alcohol and a woman." Karin replied. Chad was about to say something but he stopped when he heard the word woman.

"Woman?" He repeated. Karin nodded.

"Yeah a woman. A lady. One with blonde hair to be exact. She stopped by this morning and gave me some pills to give to Dad. She said that they would help him 'relax'. I just threw them into some corner, they looked a bit shady to me. And so did she. Chad I'm scared." Karin finished off. Chad looked at his sister and sighed. He knew what he had to do.

"Look K, everything will be fine. You go to your room and just chill out or watch some TV here. I'll go and talk to Dad." Chad said and then walked out of the room. Karin sat on his bed and switched on the TV, wanting to drown out any noise that was coming from downstairs. Meanwhile Chad had made his way down the stairs and was standing in front of his father. "Dad." Chad shook his father slightly. David moved slightly but didn't wake up. "Get up!" Chad shouted. David's eyes snapped open and he looked at Chad.

"What do you want?" He asked. Chad sighed.

"What have you been doing? Drinking?" Chad said pointing to the bottle that was in David's hands. David hid the bottle and then looked at his son.

"Why are you asking me that question? I'm your father and you're my son, it's not the other way round." David said and stood up. Chad rolled his eyes and grabbed the bottle that David was holding. "Oi!" David shouted and made a grab for the bottle. Chad moved it out of the way before David could get it.

"This has got to stop!" Chad said walking over to the bin and placing the bottle inside.

"It'll stop when I want it to stop." David fired back, unable to believe that his son had just trashed his bottle of alcohol. "You can't tell me what to do SON." He put emphasis on the word son.

"Oh give it a rest Dad." Chad rolled his eyes at his father's behaviour. "I think that this situation has gone way past respect Dad. You've been out drinking and doing only God-knows-what for around a week now. You've been worrying me and scaring Karin for days! She was scared senseless when she came to my room a few minutes ago! I can't just sit back and watch you ruin your life along with ours." Chad glared at his father. David glared back but then looked down, feeling almost ashamed of himself. "We need you Dad..." Chad added softly. David looked up with guilt.

"Chad...son...it's been a rough ride..." He started to say.

"If it's been a rough ride then you have to let us help, not go and seek the help of alcohol or pills or women." Chad added. David's eyes widened.

"What?" He asked. Chad looked around the room and spotted the small bottle of pills that Karin had chucked in a corner earlier. He walked towards it and picked it up. He then held it up to show his father. "A woman came this morning and dropped these off for you." Chad said looking for some writing on the tub, but there was nothing written on the bottle that told Chad what his Dad was taking. "What is she to you? Girlfriend? Co-worker? Drug provider? What?" Chad asked.

"She's...nothing." David said. Chad shook his head.

"Wrong answer Dad, she's obviously one of those things to you but she's not going to be anything any longer." Chad announced and then walked over to the bin. He opened up the tub and let all the pills fall out and into the trash can.

"NO!" David yelled. "I need those!" He spoke helplessly.

"For what?" Chad asked. David sighed.

"Look Chad, none of this is your fault, it's not Karin's either. I've just been having some...some..." David couldn't find the words to explain what was happening.

"Is this about Mom? Because her...death...date is coming up and you've been acting weird ever since Aunt Colleen mentioned it a couple of weeks ago. Please just tell me is this is all about her." Chad begged his father. David looked at his son and saw the helplessness in his eyes.

"Yeah...yeah it is. I just needed something to drown out the pain. I was there when she d-died, so I kept on thinking about it and remembered how it happened and I just went into a bit of depression because her death was what caused our family problems." David said.

"Dad we do not have problems!" Chad retorted.

"Yes we do. After she died you became so violent and had to take anger management classes! And to this day you can still get a little violent. That's a problem. Karin had to grow up without a Mom! She lost her Mom when she was three and she doesn't have her now. I can't give her the things your mom could give her so Karin's mother got taken away from her! That's a problem and my life got taken away from me that day." David had tears in his eyes.

"Look Dad. We may have had some problems then but they're fine now. I took my classes and I know how to get rid of whatever anger I have in my system so I don't do anything stupid. Karin has a lot of friends and Aunt's and she has Tay, so she's not deprived of a female opinion on things. Plus she's happy enough with you and me. If she's not complaining then why are you? And about you losing everything that day...well you're wrong there because you've still got me and Karin and we love you and we don't want to lose you as well." Chad told his father. David sat down on the couch. He knew that Chad was right and he knew that he needed to get his act together and soon. He looked up and smiled at his son.

"Thanks son, for making me decide on what is really important in my life." He said as Chad sat down to hug him. Karin watched from the living room doorway and smiled. Everything was going to be okay.

**Zac's House...**

Gabriella scooped up the last of her cereal and placed the spoon in her mouth. She took it out and swallowed the cereal and gave a satisfied sigh afterwards. Vanessa looked at her in amusement.

"You look like you've never eaten cereal or breakfast before." She said. Gabriella looked up and smiled.

"I have had cereal before but it wasn't offered to me with love, well it wasn't offered to me at all, I just had to get it myself." Gabriella looked down with a small frown on her face. Vanessa reached over the table and placed her hand over Gabriella's.

"That was the past and this is the present. Now it's going to be offered to you, everyday and if you don't take it then Troy will shove it down your gob anyway." Vanessa added. Gabriella giggled just as Troy entered the room.

"Has she eaten it all?" He asked the older woman. Vanessa nodded as she stood up and took Gabriella's plate to the sink. "Good." Troy smiled at his girlfriend and pecked her on the lips.

"Do you want me to help you with that? Cause I can totally wash my own plates and stuff..." Gabriella began to ramble.

"Gabi, it's okay. You don't have to do any chores around here. I'm perfectly happy in doing them myself. Beside my mother would hate me if she found out that I made you wash the dishes." Vanessa laughed a little. Gabriella's worry faded away and a smile made its way to her face.

"How is she?" Gabriella asked.

"She's good; she misses your mother a lot though." Vanessa replied. "But then again, don't we all?" She added. Gabriella nodded. Troy placed a comforting arm around her.

"Okay then let's go!" Zac entered the room with a huge grin on his face. "Time to go and collect Miss Hope. Hope who put hope into our hearts!" He declared merrily. Vanessa laughed at his excitement.

"Zac you're excited today. If I'm not mistaken you're more excited to see Hope, even more excited than on our wedding day!" Vanessa added. Zac's laughing stopped.

"V, you know that was the most exciting day of my life!" He announced. Vanessa nodded.

"Yeah I do." She said as she walked over to him and placed her arms around him.

"Great, then let's go!" Zac said as he led her out of the kitchen. Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand and led her out of the kitchen as well. The young couple followed the older couple out of the house and into the car. "Let's go get Hope." Zac mumbled as he started the car and backed out of the driveway.

**The Neilson Household...**

Kelsi walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. It was eleven in the morning and she had just woken up. She let out a yawn and placed her hand over her mouth. She rubbed her eyes and opened them fully. Just so that she could get to the kettle. She grabbed the kettle and walked over to the sink to fill it up with water. She placed it back on its pad and then switched it on. She sat down at the kitchen table waiting for the whistle to blow.

"Kelsi! Come here please." Kelsi sighed and got up as she heard her father call her. She walked out of the kitchen and went straight into the living room, not ready for what or who she was about to see. Carter was sat on a couch in the living room; he smiled at his daughter as she entered the room.

"Yeah?" She asked. Carter took a deep breath.

"Kelsi, I'd like you to meet your mother..." Carter said and Kelsi turned to where he was pointing. She looked across the room and locked eyes with a woman who looked exactly like her. "Clarice, this is the daughter who abandoned all those years ago." He said with a hint of bitterness. Kelsi looked at her father and then back at her mother, unable to believe that the mother who deserted her was sitting in her living room.

"What are you doing here?" Kelsi asked quietly as she went to sit down next to her father. Clarice looked at her daughter with a sad face.

"I wanted to see you. I wanted to see what you looked like at the age of seventeen. I wanted to talk to you and explain to you why..." Clarice began to say.

"Why you left? Do you think I want to know why you left? Do you think that I'll just sit here and let you explain to me why you left me and my father all alone? Why you left me without a mother and him without someone to love? Do you think that I'd still love you after all these years cause you are so wrong _mother_." Kelsi spoke with bitterness and sarcasm. She didn't want to know this woman. The woman she had taken out of her life years ago.

"But Kelsi..." Clarice protested. She couldn't believe that her daughter was refusing to talk to her, to get to know her. "I love you and I want to get to know you better." She finished off and Kelsi scoffed.

"If you really loved me you wouldn't have left me. You would've either taken me with you or not left all together. But you didn't love me enough. Not enough to stay. So please, do exactly what you did years ago and leave. Because I think that's the best for you and for me." Kelsi told her mother. Clarice shook her head.

"No. How is it good for us?" She asked.

"Easy. If you don't know me then you'll forget about me. And I don't want to know you so if you go then I'll be able to go about my life as normal." Kelsi replied. Carter looked at the two and sighed.

"I think it'd be best if you go Clarice. Kelsi is clearly against the idea of you being here so I'd like to respect her wishes and ask you to leave. Please." He added. Clarice looked at her ex-husband and her child. She sighed as she nodded.

"Fine, I'm going. But you'll never hear from me again Kelsi; I just want you to know that." Clarice told her daughter. Kelsi looked up at her mother with a face full of hatred.

"That's perfectly fine with me, at least I can go on living life without you. Just the way it should be." Kelsi said and walked out of the room. Carter sighed and stood up to show Clarice the way out.

"I'm sorry about that Clarice." He apologized on Kelsi's behalf.

"It's okay Carter. If she wants to be stubborn, that's her problem. I'll try sending some money over for her some time soon. Just so I know that I'm helping her somehow." Clarice said as she walked away from the house and into her car. Carter sighed and watched her from the doorway, just as he did all those years ago. He closed the door and walked over to the kitchen.

"Kelli?" Carter called out for his daughter.

"Sorry Dad." Kelsi said. Carter walked over to the kitchen table and sat down next to his daughter.

"For what?" He asked her.

"For being so stubborn." She replied.

"You weren't stubborn..." Carter began to say. Kelsi gave him a look. "Okay you were a bit. But you did what you thought was right and that's okay with me." He told her. Kelsi smiled at him.

"Thanks Dad. I just had to refuse to see her because I didn't want to get too close to her because at the end of the day she wasn't the one to see me through the move to the big girl's bed, or losing my first tooth, or even my first kiss. You and grandma have always been there for me and I want to repay you. So I've decided that you are my only family." Kelsi announced. Carter smiled at his daughter's decision.

"I'm proud of you honey." He said. Kelsi smiled happily knowing that she had truly made the right decision.

**The Montez Household...**

Chanel was sat in the living room on her own. Her father was in the kitchen eating breakfast and Celina had locked herself in the guest bedroom. Chanel placed her head in her hands as she thought about what had happened the night before. It was a complete chaos but she was glad that her Aunt Vanessa had told them the truth about Celina. That she was the most conniving woman ever! Chanel just couldn't believe that she had lost her way. She almost lost her sister! Well in a way she did. Chanel shook her head; everything was so confusing right now. She heard a knock on the door and she ran to get it. Before opening the door she prayed that it was the one person she had wanted to see for a long time. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hey Chan... you look great." Chanel smiled as she leapt forward to hug him.

"Dan! I'm so glad that you're here!" She spoke with excitement. Dan smiled.

"I'm glad to be here as well." He said. A petite girl stepped out from behind Dan and grinned at Chanel.

"Aren't you glad to see me as well?" She asked. Chanel grinned and leapt forward to hug her best friend.

"Oh Belz, I'm so glad that you're here!" Chanel exclaimed. Bella grinned and let go of Chanel. The Latina grabbed Dan's hand and also Bella's hand so that she could lead them into the house. Dan grinned as he held onto his girlfriend and Bella was just glad to see her best friend again. Chanel showed them into the living room and motioned for them to sit.

"Make yourself at home. I'll go grab my Dad. He'll be happy to see you." Chanel said. Dan nodded and dropped his bags on the floor. Bella did the same and crashed next to Dan on the couch. Chanel ran out of the living room and into the kitchen. "Dad, guess who's here!" She said. Julio looked up in confusion.

"Who?" He asked. "Gabriella?" He added with a little bit of hope. Chanel shook her head.

"No, come see." She took him by the arm and led him to the living room. She opened the door and let her Dad set his eyes on the guy who had the key to her heart.

"Dan and Bella!" Julio said and then stepped forward to greet the young lad with a handshake and gave Bella a small hug.

"Mr M how's it?" Dan asked.

"Hey Mr Montez, it's nice to see you again." Bella added.

"It's great to see you as well Bella, you've turned into a beautiful young girl." Dan smiled at Bella who blushed a little. "And to answer your question Dan, not so well. But I suppose you two have already heard about it all from Chanel." Julio said. Both Dan and Bella nodded.

"Yeah I have. And it's a big shame that Celina turned out to be an abuser. Poor Gabriella." He spoke with sadness. Bella nodded her head again in agreement; she had only found out a few days ago and was still trying to get her head around it. Chanel nodded as well.

"Yeah and I feel so bad and partially responsible." Chanel added. Dan sighed.

"I don't know exactly what to say to that." He told her, Chanel just nodded and looked at Bella who was also looking clueless. Julio just sat back and started to make a conversation with Dan. Chanel smiled as she watched her father interact with Dan. She turned to Bella and began to open up to her best friend. Maybe things were going to turn out okay.

**The Evan's Household...**

Sharpay was stood by the window, looking out waiting to spot that familiar black limo pull up outside their home.

"They here yet?" She turned around at the sound of her brother's voice. Ryan looked at her with some hope. She just shook her head and sighed.

"I just hope that they don't stand us up." Sharpay said. Ryan nodded.

"Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if they just had to be at another meeting." He said. It was Sharpay's turn to nod. Ryan walked over to the couch and sat down whilst Sharpay went back to looking out of the window. Both were silent.

"So..." Ryan began to say. "What exactly are we going to say?" He asked his sister. Sharpay turned away from the window and looked at her brother.

"Well we're going to tell them that we want them to be around more often. We're going to say that they need to act like our parents and stop being selfish. Maybe even try and be a family for once." Sharpay told him. Ryan nodded.

"Good. That's good." He said. Sharpay walked over to him.

"So have you talked to Gabriella yet?" She asked as she sat down next to him. Ryan shook his head yet again.

"Nope. But Troy texted me saying that things were going to get better soon." He told her.

"That's good." Sharpay said.

"Yeah, Gabriella needs some good in her life and I think that Troy is that good." Ryan said. Sharpay nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I just hope that she makes it through alright." She said, feeling sorry for her friend. Ryan was about to say something when they heard a car pull up in front of the house. Sharpay looked at her brother and then stood up. She ran over to the window and looked out to see the black limo that belonged to their parents. "They're here!" She said with happiness. She ran out of the room with Ryan right behind her. They reached the front door and opened it before Charles. Sharpay spotted her father and engulfed him in a big hug. "Daddy, it's so great to see you." She said as she held onto him. Vance Evans looked at his daughter in surprise as she clung onto him. Normally she would just smiled and say, 'have you bought me anything Daddy?', but he guessed that this time she had genuinely missed him.

"It's great to see you too Princess." He said as he hugged her back. Derby Evans stood behind her husband and smiled at the interaction between the father and daughter. She looked around them and spotted her son.

"Ducky!" She said and held out her arms. Ryan smiled and walked forward to hug his mother. 'Ducky' was an embarrassing nickname but his mother used a lot of love when she called him that and he couldn't pass up motherly love. Sharpay let go of her father and smiled at her mother who had let go of Ryan.

"Hey mother, how you doing?" Sharpay asked as she hugged her mother. Derby was a little surprised because Sharpay was never fond of her, but it seemed like things were changing.

"Hey Dad." Ryan shook hands with his father. Vance smiled down at his son as he walked into the house. Sharpay and Derby followed the two men into the living room. The Evans clan sat down and Sharpay exchanged looks with her brother. Ryan nodded as if to say, 'go ahead'.

"Ahem..." Sharpay cleared her throat. "Mother, Daddy, we have some things to say to you." She announced. Derby and Vance were the ones to exchange looks this time round.

"Go on..." Vance told his daughter. Sharpay nodded.

"Well we were just thinking about how you're always gone. I mean we come home from school and you're never here. And we want that to change." Sharpay said.

"But we go away for a reason..." Derby said. "...So that we can work and provide you with everything you need." She finished.

"Mom, look around you. We're sitting in a mansion, we have a butler, we have things that no normal teenager would have. So if you say that you're going away because you want us to have better things, well then I expect you to come up with a better reason, because that one is officially invalid." Ryan said. Derby nodded slowly, trying to understand what was going on.

"But we need to work so that we can safely ensure your future so that you don't have to work too hard at it." Vance said.

"Daddy if you do all the hard work for us then there's nothing left for us to do and learn." Sharpay told her father. Vance nodded.

"So you want to do the hard work? You want us to be around more?" He asked. Sharpay nodded.

"Yeah, that's exactly what we want. Let us build our future ourselves but right now we need you to be closer to home and not everywhere around the world." Ryan finished off. Derby smiled at her children.

"That can be arranged." She said as she gave Ryan and Sharpay a hug. The twins looked at each other and smiled.

"That was actually easier than I thought." Sharpay whispered. Ryan just grinned.

**Albuquerque Airport...**

Gabriella rested her head on the window as Zac made another round of the airport car park. He was trying to find a place to park.

"There's one!" Troy said and pointed to an empty space that was not too far from the airport. Zac grinned as he turned the steering wheel.

"Good eye Troy." He praised the young lad. Troy just gave him a lopsided smile that Gabriella thought was adorable. Zac quickly drove towards the empty space and parked the car. He turned off the engine, pulled out the keys, unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. Vanessa, Gabriella and Troy did the same. "Come on you lot! Let's go get our Hope!" Zac spoke with loads of enthusiasm. Vanessa laughed as Zac took hold of her hand and ran forward, dragging her along. Gabriella grinned at the behaviour of her Uncle.

"Look at how happy he is! It's awesome." Gabriella said to Troy as they walked slowly.

"Yeah it's cool, but are you happy?" Troy eyed his girlfriend. Gabriella looked at him with a small smile, she linked their hands.

"Yeah...yeah I am." Gabriella spoke with confidence. "I'm glad that my life is finally being sorted out. That I'm getting answers and help. I'm also that I have you, Uncle Zac, Aunt V and the whole gang by 

my side. Plus I think that I'm getting my sister back as well. What could be more...fabulous?" Gabriella quoted their 'fabulous' friend Sharpay. Troy laughed, glad that her sense of humour was still intact. He looked down at her smiling and taking in the surroundings and he let out a sigh. "What?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you with me, holding my hand as my girlfriend. You know from the moment we met, when you knocked on my door, I just felt like I had a connection with you and I knew that someday I'd be with you..." Troy's voice trailed off as he blushed. "Cheesy right?" He said as he scratched the back of his neck with his hand.

"No it's not cheesy, and it's not 'nothing' as well. It's the sweetest thing that anybody has ever said to me." Gabriella looked up at him with admiration in her eyes. Troy grinned and leant down so that he could connect his lips with hers. Both felt the same sparks and heard the same fireworks erupt as they connected with one another. Just like the first time they had kissed.

"Ahem...can you two break it up and carry on walking?" The young couple broke apart and turned to face a protective looking Zac and an amused Vanessa. Troy and Gabriella looked at each other and blushed. "Yeah, yeah blush all you want but Gabriella is walking with me from now on!" Zac announced and reached forward to grab Gabriella's hand. He dragged her off and Gabriella looked back at her boyfriend with a grin on her face. She let out some laughter as Zac dragged her further away. Troy smiled as he watched her walk away and he began to walk on with Vanessa.

"She's really happy with you. Extremely happy, like over the moon happy and I want to thank you for that." Vanessa spoke first, thanking Troy who looked really surprised.

"Um, I'm glad I could help. But I have to say thanks to you for saying _that_!" Troy put some emphasis on 'that'. "I'm glad that I can make her happy. She's been through so much, and she deserves to have some happiness in her life." Troy said and Vanessa nodded in agreement as she watched her husband and her cousin's daughter having fun.

"So you're happy about seeing Hope." Gabriella said to her best friend.

"Yeah, I've met her before and she's an amazing girl. But she's been through plenty. Just like you I guess." Zac told her. Gabriella nodded, but was confused at the same time.

"Was she being abused as well?" Gabriella asked quietly. Zac thought for a moment.

"No..." He said, feeling a bit ashamed of what he had said previously. "But you have, and I'm extremely sorry about that. I should've just taken you girls away from Julio when I had the chance. But it was the damn cops and the law that was the problem..." Zac began to ramble on. Gabriella just shook her head in disagreement.

"I don't regret you leaving us." She said and Zac just looked at her. "I'm actually glad that I went through all of that abuse. Because at the end of the day I have an amazing boyfriend who loves me and the most amazing mates ever. I'd go through it all again if it means keeping them." Gabriella said. Zac looked at her and saw nothing but the truth.

"You really love him don't you?" Zac asked her. Gabriella bit her lip.

"Love? Well I'm not so sure about whether I am completely in love with him. But I know that we're getting there." Gabriella said with a smile. Zac nodded.

"Okay but take it slow El, You're young and foolish and you may want to do things that give you a sudden thrill and buzz..." Zac was saying.

"Are you giving me the sex talk?" Gabriella asked him with narrowed eyes. Zac just nodded, feeling a tad foolish. Gabriella just laughed and jumped up to hug him as the other two caught up with them.

**The Cox Household...**

Taylor walked round the corner and opened the gate to Martha's house. She skipped to the front door and rang the doorbell.

"Hello." Taylor greeted Martha's mother.

"Oh hi Taylor." Andrea Cox greeted her daughter's friend. "Martha's upstairs with the rest of the gang." She smiled at Taylor as she let her in.

"Thanks Mrs C." Taylor thanked the older woman and then ran up the stairs. On her way there she passed Martha's older brother.

"Hey Tay." He greeted her. Taylor looked at him. He had caused quite a stir up between Chad and her in Sophomore Year and she didn't want anything else to happen.

"Hi Greg, I can't talk, I have to go. Sorry." Taylor just gave him a small smile and walked past him. Greg just nodded, knowing that she didn't want to talk. Taylor had made it to Martha's room and opened the door. "Hey guys." She said as she walked into the room. There were murmurs of 'hey' and 'hi' throughout the room. Taylor just looked at all her lazy friends. Martha was sat on her bed with a pillow on her lap and a notebook with a pencil in her hands. She seemed to be scribbling something down then hating it and then tearing the paper, scrunching it up into a little ball and chucking it into the bin. But they usually bounced off the bin and hit Jason in the face. It wasn't hard because he had crashed on the floor with loads of pillows around him and just his mobile phone in one hand. Taylor rolled her eyes at his laziness. She looked over at Zeke who seemed to be eating something that wasn't made by him; he was also spinning around on the chair he was sitting on. Taylor guaranteed that he was going to be sick after he finished. She looked around the room and spotted Jen seated at Martha's dressing table trying out different styles on her hair. "Wow you're all so active today." She spoke with sarcasm in her voice. She closed the door and walked over to a spare bean bag that was on the floor. She sat down and let the bean bag swallow her.

"Yeah well it's only us and we can't be bothered to get up and do something." Zeke said as he stopped spinning.

"Yeah, plus everything that's happened has left such a gloomy mood behind and I can't have fun with Gabriella still being tortured." Jen spoke up from where she was seated.

"That's it!" Martha threw her hands up in the air as a sign of surrender. "I've got nothing! Nada! Zilch!" She cried. Taylor looked at her.

"What were you doing anyway?" She asked. "Besides wasting paper..." Taylor pointed to the wastebasket that was full of papers.

"I was trying to make a plan of a fun, exciting day. Just so I could get everyone to be happy. But nothing works!" She said and then fell back on the bed with a slight thud. "How's Chad?" She asked, changing the subject.

"He texted me earlier, he's just sorting some things out with his Dad." Taylor answered. "He's going to join us in around half an hour." Taylor told her friends. Jason lifted his head off the floor and looked at the clock. It read 12:30pm, that meant Chad was arriving at one.

"Well at least he's coming; I texted Kelsi an hour ago and she still hasn't got back to me." Jason said as his phone buzzed. Jen turned around and watched him smile as he read his text.

"Who was it?" She asked when he had finished texting.

"Kelsi." Jason replied bluntly with a small shrug, this made everyone burst out into a fit of laughter. Jason looked around at everyone with a confused look on his face. "Why are you laughing?" He asked them. Martha sat up and looked at him.

"Honestly?" She started. "I have no idea..." She finished.

"It's just something to do." Zeke added as the laughter subsided.

"Yeah and now we're back to square one." Taylor said. "Say something funny Jase, please." She pleaded. Jason shook his head.

"That was a one off that wasn't supposed to be funny. Anyway I don't have any funny left in me." He told them.

"Killjoy." Zeke muttered as he started to spin around on the chair again. Jason stuck his tongue out at his spinning teammate.

"Oh, real mature Jase." Jen commented. Jason rolled his eyes at Troy's cheerleading cousin.

"Since when was I the mature one here?" He asked his friends.

"Urm, since you became the clever at Sharpay's 'welcome Gabriella' sleepover." Martha said. Jason nodded but didn't say a word. Just at that moment Kelsi burst into the room.

"Hey guys!" She said and then ran to hug Jason. Everyone looked at her in confusion.

"Wow Kelsi, what an entrance." Jen said with a smile. Kelsi looked at her and blushed.

"Well I'm just happy to see him." She spoke quietly.

"What's up Kelsi?" Jason asked his girlfriend.

"Well...my mother came to visit today." Kelsi began to say. She sat down on the floor next to Jason and the others crowded around her. "She came in the morning and Dad wanted me to talk to her. So I sat in the same room as her and listened to what she had to say." Kelsi said.

"What did she have to say?" Taylor asked.

"Bull." Kelsi replied simply. "She wanted to get to know me and I was like why do you want to know me now? Why not all those years ago when you were actually in my circle of trust? She came out with a lot of crap and I just refused to speak with her. So basically I no longer have a mother and I'm okay with that." Kelsi said. Jen smiled at her.

"Good on you Kels." Jen said. Kelsi nodded.

"Things are okay with me, let's just hope that Gabriella's life goes back to normal as well." Kelsi said and everyone nodded in agreement.

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**Well That's Another Chapter Done. **

**This Chapter Was Supposed To Be Way Longer But I Stopped At Sixteen Pages! **

**Anyway Please Review!**

**Until The Next Update**

**Peace xoxo**


	21. Meeting Hope

**Hey Guys =]**

**I Know It's Been Ages Since I've Updated But I Haven't Really Had The Time To Write! I've Moved To A New School, Started Sixth Form && Had A Lot Of Work To Do, So I Haven't Had The Opportunity To Write. But I've Completed This Chapter! It's Shorter Than The Last But It's All I Could Come Up With, Hopefully Starting A New Chapter Will Help Me In Some Way.**

**Anyway Enjoy What I've Written && Please Leave A Review So I Know That This Story Hasn't Been Forgotten! Thanks =]**

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**"God I hate these chairs." Gabriella complained as she shifted about on her chair. Troy looked over at her and grinned.

"Well you'll have to put up with them for now. Or you could sit here." Troy said, patting his lap. Gabriella smiled and carefully positioned herself on his lap. Troy let his arms snake around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Aw, don't they look adorable?" Vanessa said when she looked over at the couple.

"Yeah they look sweet, but he'd better not try anything with El or else..." Zac said making an 'I'm-watching-you' gesture towards the couple. Gabriella giggled at her Uncle's behaviour. He was acting like a father to her and she for once she felt comforted instead of feeling frustrated like she did when her own father acted fatherly towards her. Gabriella scrunched up her face, feeling confused with her thoughts. Basically she liked Zac acting fatherly and hated Julio acting fatherly.

"So... when does their plane land?" Troy asked Zac, bringing Gabriella out of her thoughts.

"Um... an hour ago but they might be having luggage problems or something." Zac said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Yeah that could happen but they could also be coming this way, right now." Vanessa pointed towards a tall, well-built man and a young girl with willowy blonde locks for hair. Gabriella jumped off Troy's lap and stood up, taking Troy's hand to pull him up as well. Both stood by Vanessa as she waved at the pair. "Rocky! Hope!" She yelled out their names and they smiled and ran over. Zac greeted them first, giving Rocky a firm handshake and giving Hope a big bear hug. Vanessa was next, she hugged Rocky and Hope. They then turned towards Troy and Gabriella.

"Rocky, Hope. This is Gabriella Montez..." Zac said, pointing to Gabriella. "And this is her boyfriend Troy Bolton." He introduced Troy who gave the pair a friendly smile. Gabriella looked down shyly as Rocky approached her.

"Hey Gabriella, it's nice to meet you." He said, putting his hand out for her to shake. Gabriella looked up at him, and saw nothing but kindness in his eyes. She smiled at him and shook his hand.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mr Rocky." Gabriella said feeling a bit confused over what she should call him. Rocky grinned.

"Not Mr Rocky that sounds like something you would call a pet. Nope, just call me Rocky." He said and then turned to shake hands with Troy. Gabriella turned to face Hope.

"Hi." She gave her step-sister a little wave.

"Hey..." Hope spoke in a quiet, shy voice that was nothing like Celina's.

"It's nice to meet you Hope. I've heard a lot about you from Uncle Zac and Aunt Nessa." Gabriella told the other girl. Hope smiled, showing off her pearly white teeth.

"I hope they said good things..." She said cheekily and glanced at Zac for a moment. "I'm glad to meet you too and I've heard...things about you too." Hope looked down, feeling somewhat awkward. Gabriella nodded.

"Yeah and I know that they're not good things, just painful." Gabriella added. Hope nodded, not knowing what to say next.

"Hey, I'm Troy." Troy jumped into the conversation. Hope smiled at him.

"I'm Hope." She said, shaking his hand.

"Glad to meet you Hope and I hope that you'll set things right for my girl Gabriella. She needs some happiness in her life." Troy said, looking over at Gabriella.

"I'd be happy to help." Hope replied.

"Okay kiddies, we'd best get back home. There's a witch we need to banish." Zac said as they walked out of the airport. Rocky, Zac and Vanessa led the way whilst chatting and lugging the bags along with them. Troy, Gabriella and Hope walked with a slower pace and were quieter than the adults. Gabriella and Troy had linked arms, making Hope feel a little bit awkward. She looked down and then back up at the couple who looked as shy as she did.

"So how long have you been together?" Hope asked the couple, wanting to create some kind of conversation.

"Oh it's been a few weeks, give or take a month but it feels like it's been a long time." Gabriella spoke up. What she said was true. So much had happened to the couple in a few weeks that they completely lost track of how many weeks it had been since they actually got together!

"Wow, you two must have gone through a lot together then." Hope replied.

"Yeah that's true, but it's all worth it in the end, I'd go through everything again if it meant putting a smile on my girls face." Troy said, smiling down at his girlfriend. Gabriella grinned up at him and gave his hand a squeeze.

"That's sweet Troy." She said to him and then turned to Hope. "So tell us about yourself." She said as they reached the car.

"Um, I'm eighteen, I live in Florida..." Hope thought of something to say whilst she fastened her seatbelt. Gabriella and Troy were sat next to her, with Rocky at the back and the other couple sitting at the front. Zac was obviously driving and Vanessa was doing what every good wife did when she was riding in a car with her husband. Scream when he made the slightest mistake and then try to back it up with some facts. Typical behaviour.

"Yeah Aunt Nessa told me that before, but I want to know about things like your friends and stuff." Gabriella told her step sister.

"Oh I'm not so good at making new friends, but I have my own group of girl back at home. There's Louise, Willow and Phoebe. We call ourselves the Fantastic Four. Lame but it's all we could come up with. Then there's my guys, they work at the local Starbucks with me. There's Jake, Ed, Nate and Mark. Plus our boss Darren is totally cool. So there are my most valued friends." Hope told them.

"No boyfriend?" Gabriella asked. Hope blushed.

"Nope, not yet anyway..." She added. Gabriella looked interested and Troy sighed.

"Please Hope; don't encourage her to encourage you to elaborate. I don't think I can take a few minutes of girl talk. I get enough of it with her and Sharpay..." He mumbled.

"Who's Sharpay?" Hope asked.

"Sharpay is one of my friends. Do you want to know about them?" Gabriella asked and Hope nodded. "Okay um, first there's Chad, Troy's best friend. Then there's Taylor who is Chad's girlfriend and my best friend. There's Zeke and his girlfriend Sharpay. Jason and his girlfriend Kelsi. Then there is Ryan. Martha my dance buddy. Not forgetting Jen, Troy's cousin. We haven't given ourselves a name but we'll work on that when we get together. Um outside friends are just Derek from the care home and Dan from San Francisco, where I used to live." Gabriella told Hope.

"Wow, you're quite popular." Hope seemed impressed. Gabriella smiled.

"Well when you're dating the basketball captain, popularity is just natural." Gabriella shrugged, she had never thought much about her popularity at East High but honestly, it seemed like everyone loved her. So Gabriella was pleased with that. Troy, however, looked hurt.

"So you're dating me for popularity reasons?" He feigned hurt. Gabriella giggled at his act.

"No of course not! I'm dating you because you're...you." Gabriella said. Troy just grinned.

"That I am." He said proudly and popped his collar. Gabriella laughed along with Hope.

"You two are great; I can't imagine anyone trying to break you up..." Hope stopped when she realized she had said the wrong thing. Both Troy and Gabriella's faces were grim. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know and I didn't mean to..." Hope began to say.

"No it's okay Hope. You're right, you didn't know and you didn't mean to say that. Don't feel bad. It's just that...my twin sister tried to break us up before we were even together." Gabriella admitted, recalling bad memories of Chanel trying to rid her of the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"It was a hard time for Brie, but we got through that and now her sister is actually rooting for us." Troy said as he placed an arm around Gabriella's shoulders. Hope smiled.

"Well I'm glad all of that worked out for you. I can't imagine being cross at my sister..." Hope said.

"You have a sister?" Gabriella asked. Sure she had heard that Rocky was Hope's father but there was no mention of another wife or other children.

"Yeah, um actually she's my step-sister but sister nonetheless. Dad got married again when I was about four. He couldn't juggle work and minding me at the same time so he hired a nanny and then sort of fell in love with her I guess. Then about a year later out pops little Cherry." Hope had a small smile on her face as she thought about her little sister. "Cheryl Hope Dumont, she is the cutest thing alive her middle name was inspired by me. I love her to bits." Hope gushed about her little sister. Gabriella smiled.

"You make her sound cute as well; I can't wait until I meet her then." Gabriella said. "In fact I'd love to meet your step-mother as well; she sounds way better than mine." Gabriella mumbled the last part. Hope nodded and sat back in her seat, waiting for the ride home to be over.

**Back In Martha's Bedroom...**

"So we're all cool now, in fact Dad insisted on taking Karin out for the day just so that he could make it up to her." Chad finished telling the gang about his father and their conversation earlier in the morning. Taylor smiled and gave her boyfriend a hug.

"I'm so proud of you..." She said as she withdrew. "You stood up to him and talked some sense into him. Now he's back to being your father." Taylor said.

"Yeah for now. Mom's death date is coming up and it'll be really hard for him to cope at that time." Chad said and then smiled slightly. "But let's just forget that at the moment. Moving onto to Ryan and Sharpay, how did your thing go with your parents?" He asked the fraternal twins.

"It went better than I expected." Sharpay admitted. "They listened to us and then thought of a solution." Sharpay told her friends.

"Yep and now our family is actually a family." Ryan said with a grin. Taylor looked at all the smiles on her friend's faces.

"I guess everyone is sorted apart from Gabriella." Taylor said quietly. Everyone looked at her.

"Taylor! Now you've got everyone in a bad mood again!" Jen exclaimed and Taylor looked apologetic.

"Well I feel that if Gabriella is upset then we, being her most best and closest mates, should be upset as well." Taylor explained.

"Yeah, you've got a point but would Gabriella want us to be upset just because she's upset?" Jason asked.

"No, she'd want us to have a good time, even though we can't." Zeke answered. The rest of the gang nodded in agreement.

"I wonder what they're up to. Anyone heard from the couple?" Chad asked, thinking about his best friend and his best friend's girlfriend.

"Yeah, Gabriella called me last night. She's staying at her Uncle's house and Troy's there too." Taylor began to say. "She also told me something that really shocked me. Her step-mother cheated on her father all those years ago with his teammate and she had a daughter." She looked at all their shocked faces. "Yeah that's a part of it; the next part is a little bit more...well it's more. She abandoned her daughter in the hospital and then went running back to Gabriella's Dad, hence ruining his life and then moving on to ruining Gabriella's. But Gabriella's Uncle Zac and Aunt Vanessa found Celina's daughter and they're calling her over. So that they can expose Celina. Awesome right?" Taylor finished. The members of the gang were wearing similar looks on their faces. Shock, disgust and utter disrespect for Celina.

"I feel really sorry for Hope. I mean I can sort of relate to her with the whole mother abandoning her thing. It's pretty painful." Kelsi said. Jason wrapped his arms around her in comfort.

"Well you've faced your mother and now she has to face hers." He told her. Kelsi nodded.

"All I know is that Gabriella's family and their background are a little bit like...The O.C and stuff." Sharpay added. Taylor rolled her eyes.

"Totally not the O.C. Shar." Jen said. Sharpay stuck her tongue out at her friend.

"That was SO mature of you Shar." Martha said and Sharpay directed her tongue at the dancer seated on the bed.

"Don't care." Sharpay announced.

"Wow that's a big shocker coming from our ex-Ice Princess." Chad commented. The gang began to laugh and Sharpay crossed her arms with a slight hmph.

"Hey! Leave my girl alone." Zeke defended Sharpay and then pulled her towards him. Sharpay grinned and sat on Zeke's lap as they spun around on the swirly chair. Taylor laughed.

"And that's how it always ends when we pick on Shar. It ends up in Zeke's lap." She said as she laughed.

"Yeah that and a bag of cookies." Chad eyed the cookies Zeke had pulled out of his bag. Sharpay took them and then looked at Chad with a triumphant look on her face. Chad just gave her a playful glare. "They will be mine." He said in a low voice.

"Loser!" Sharpay yelled and made the letter 'L' with her thumb and index finger and then held them up in front of Chad. The rest just watched in amusement, whilst hoping that Gabriella was doing fine with Hope and Celina.

**The Montez Household...**

"Where are they?" Chanel paced the living room floor and stopped to look outside before pacing again. Bella and Dan watched her from where they were sitting.

"They'll be here. Don't worry too much." Dan said, trying to reassure her. Chanel nodded and smiled at her friends.

"Thanks for being here you two." She said with genuine gratitude.

"Yeah well we had holidays and there was nothing better to do." Bella said in a bored tone. Chanel laughed at her friend's sense of humour.

"Thanks for putting me at the top of your list." She replied.

"No problem." Bella said with a grin. Just then the doorbell rang. Chanel jumped slightly and grinned.

"That has to be them!" She said giddily and sprinted towards the front door. She grabbed hold of the door knob and opened the door to come face to face with...

"Hey Chanel, is Troy here?" Chanel's smile faltered as she stood facing Mrs Bolton.

"Sorry Mrs Bolton, he's with Gabriella and I don't know where they are." She replied, hoping that they were on their way. Lucille frowned, she hadn't heard from her son in a day and that was enough to get her worried.

"Well thanks for the help." Lucille thanked Chanel and was about to turn around and walk away.

"I'm sorry Mrs Bolton." Chanel said, making Lucille stop. "You know for everything I've done to Troy and Gabriella. It affected a lot of people and I'm assuming that you were one of them. I'm really sorry and I've apologised to Troy and Gabriella as well." She added. Lucille smiled slightly.

"It's okay; if they've forgiven you then I forgive you as well. Your mother however..." Lucille's sentence trailed off.

"She's not my mother, my real mother left us years ago." Chanel spoke with sadness and remorse in her voice. Lucille sighed and placed her arms around the young girl.

"Mom?" Lucille turned around and spotted her own child walking towards her with Gabriella and a few other people in tow.

"Troy!" She exclaimed and then frowned. "Where the hell have you been? No calls, not even a text!" She scolded her son. Troy grinned.

"Sorry, I was just a bit busy..." His voice trailed off as his mother raised an eyebrow. "But I'm sorry, I should've called." He said looking down. Gabriella giggled from her place next to him.

"That's all I ask for." Lucille said as she walked up to her son and his girlfriend. "Has he been good?" She asked the young girl. Gabriella nodded.

"He was on his best behaviour Mrs B." Gabriella grinned at the woman who was almost like a mother to her. Lucille smiled.

"Well I'll let you kids go now, but behave Troy!" Lucille slipped one last warning before walking off and into her own house.

"Gabriella!" Gabriella turned to face Chanel and looked around for the familiar voice that was calling her name. She had to look twice before spotting Dan hiding behind Chanel.

"Dan! Oh my God!" She smiled as she ran over to him. He picked her up and twirled her around. Troy narrowed his eyes at Dan and walked over to the pair. Dan let Gabriella go and turned to face Troy.

"You must be Troy." Dan said and Troy nodded. Dan put his hand out for Troy to shake. "It's nice to meet the guy that puts a smile on Gabriella's face." He said. Troy nodded and smiled, deciding that Dan wasn't a threat. Gabriella smiled and looked behind, wondering where her Uncle, Aunt, Rocky and step-sister had gone. As soon as she looked behind, they appeared next to her.

"Um, since everyone is here, let's go inside and you can introduce us to..." Chanel nodded in Rocky and Hope's direction. Zac nodded as Chanel led the way into the house where they would hopefully come up with a solution to their ever growing problem.

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**So The Next Chapter Will Be Up In A Few Days...Possibly. Hope You Enjoyed It & Leave A Review Please && Thank You**

**Oh && Before I Forget, Thanks To Everyone Who Has Reviewed So Far, You're The Only Reason I've Kept This Story!! =]**

**Until The Next Update **

**Peace x  
**


	22. Gone

**I am so proud of myself! Another chapter done and ready for you to read! **

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter, it's nice to know that people still read this! **

**Anyway enjoy!**

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**Hope sat opposite her step sisters, her father was on her right, her uncle on her left and her mother was somewhere in the house. It gave her a sense of fear and a little excitement. She was about to meet her mother, not that she was too eager, the woman had abandoned her after all, but nevertheless she wanted to meet the woman who gave birth to her.

"I'll go see where Julio is and try and get Celina down as well." Zac rose from his seat next to Hope and walked out. Hope felt a little less comfortable now, knowing that the seat next to her was free, what if her mother came in now and sat there? What would Hope do? Vanessa noted that Hope was panicking, so she sat next to her. Hope let out a sigh of relief.

"You look nothing like Celina." Bella was the first to speak.

"Thank God for that." Rocky mumbled Hope slapped her Dad on the arm playfully. "What?" He asked her. Hope just shook her head.

"That's not exactly true." Dan said, referring to what Bella had said previously. "You have your mother's eyes." Everyone nodded in agreement; Hope had the same twinkling green eyes that Celina possessed, but Hope's were filled with dreams and happiness instead of revenge and jealousy.

"It's sort of ironic, you're her daughter but you're nothing like her. I'm not her daughter but I resemble to her a lot." Chanel scoffed.

"You mean you used to be like her, you've changed now." Dan said, Chanel smiled at him but still looked unconvinced. The door opened and everyone looked to see who it was. Hope's heart started to beat really fast, was this it? Was she going to meet her mother now? Hope's face fell in disappointment as Julio followed Zac into the room.

"Hi..." Julio looked at Hope shyly, not knowing what to say to the young girl. Instead he turned to face Rocky, his basketball teammate from college. "Rocky." He acknowledged the other man. Rocky smiled at his old friend.

"Hey Julio. Urm I just wanted to say..." He began. Julio interrupted.

"No hard feelings man. She was always a devious and sneaky one." Julio said and Rocky grinned. The two men hugged and a smile appeared on Hope's face. It was nice to see her father happy. There was a slight knock on the door and everyone turned around to see who it was. The door opened slowly and Celina walked into the room slowly, with her head down. Hope gasped quietly, this was it? This was where she met her mother for the first time. Celina forced herself to look up and her eyes instantly landed on...her daughter. "Celina, I'd like you to meet your daughter." Julio pointed towards Hope. Celina's eyes filled up with water as she laid her eyes on her daughter for the second time in her life.

"Leila?" Celina said as she looked at the young girl. Hope frowned and looked at her father in confusion.

"No Celina, her name is Hope." Rocky told the mother of his daughter. Celina looked at her ex.

"You changed her name? Why?" She demanded to know.

"You abandoned her. Why?" Rocky answered back in the same demanding tone as Celina. She stepped back and sighed.

"She was never supposed to happen. We were never supposed to happen." Celina said to Rocky with no emotion whatsoever. Hope clutched her heart; her mother's words stung.

"But you did happen." Hope finally found her voice. "I happened as well, but you still left. You haven't even answered Dad's question _Mother_." Her tone was bitter and her face was full of hate. "Why did you abandon me? Why did you leave and then go break up a perfectly happy family, just so you could have your ex lover back! Why weren't we good enough?" Hope stared into her mother's eyes, wanting some answers. But Celina failed to deliver them.

"She wanted what she couldn't have." Hope turned around to face Chanel. "She wanted something that wasn't hers, off the market, taken. She wanted some other woman to feel less important than her. Kind of like me." Chanel said looking over at Troy and Gabriella. "Thankfully came to my senses, unlike her. You don't always get what you want, but you always get what you deserve. I've drank my medicine. Now I think it's time we gave Celina hers." Chanel said looking around the room and smiling at the nods.

**Still in Martha's bedroom...**

Martha sighed as she looked around the room, everyone was just lounging about and she couldn't believe that they were still sitting in her bedroom.

"Wentworth Miller is totally hot." Sharpay said as she watched Wentworth running through the woods in the latest episode of Prison Break.

"Yeah we can tell; he's sweating like a donkey in a sauna." Chad commented and the lads burst out in laughter. Sharpay rolled his eyes.

"Whatever Danforth, you're just jealous, because he's more of a man than you'll ever be."Sharpay defended her favourite TV actor. Chad rolled his eyes.

"Oh please, I bet you anything that I can do more free throws then that guy." Chad scoffed.

"Yeah but are you clever enough to conduct a plan to break your brother out of jail? Can you be on the run for a whole year and not get caught, can you survive one of the worst prisons ever? And can you face the Company and not get killed?" Sharpay shot at the bewildered basketball freak. Chad just looked away from the blonde in fear. "I thought so." Sharpay scoffed and went back to staring at the TV. Chad pretended to wipe sweat off his brow and Taylor shook her head at her boyfriend.

"Dork." She muttered. Jason laughed and looked down at his girlfriend. She seemed to be in deep thought.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked her. Kelsi looked at him and smiled.

"Don't you think it's kind of weird that before Gabriella was here we avoided our problems?" She asked. By now the entire gang was listening. "We used to ignore the problems we had at home and just thought that they would get better." She added.

"We made them a part of our lives and didn't even consider trying to find a solution for them." Ryan said. Kelsi nodded.

"Yeah we did, and then we heard about Gabriella and her problems..."

"So that forced us to look at our own." Taylor ended Kelsi's sentence. Kelsi nodded again.

"If it wasn't for Gabi, we would still be having problems." Kelsi concluded.

"Well then I'm very thankful and blessed that she came to us." Zeke said.

"Yeah and I hope her own problems get sorted out soon, because I miss having the two lovebirds here." Sharpay sighed sadly. "There's no one to embarrass." She added making the group laugh.

"Oh Shar, you know exactly what to say." Martha said through her laughter.

**The Montez Household...**

Hope was sat at the kitchen table; she could hear murmurs and voices arguing from the living room but chose to ignore him. Because they were only deciding the fate of her mother, it wasn't that big of a deal to her...right? No matter how many times Hope reminded herself that Celina had abandoned her, she still wanted to talk to her mother...alone. She felt a slight thud on the table and looked up. Gabriella had just placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of her. Hope smiled slightly and grabbed the cup.

"Thanks." She mumbled as she stared down at the marshmallows floating in the cup. Gabriella gave her a sad smile.

"It's hard huh, giving a punishment to your own mother." Gabriella said as she grabbed her own cup of hot chocolate. Hope just gave her a nod. "I don't know what you're going through and I don't understand why..."

"Obviously you don't Gabriella, she abused you." Hope said. Gabriella winced a little and just went quiet. "Sorry..." Hope mumbled after a couple of minutes.

"It's okay because I've learnt to deal with it; you just need to figure out what you want." Gabriella said. Hope nodded as she took a sip of her hot chocolate.

"Hey Brie." Troy walked into the kitchen and placed a kiss on Gabriella's forehead. Gabriella smiled instantly.

"How're your parents?" She asked. Troy had gone to pay a visit to his parents next door and explain what was going on.

"Well Mum wanted to come give you some comfort and Dad wanted to call the police..." Hope gasped. "But I told him to leave this to Zac, Julio, Vanessa and Rocky. He agreed so don't worry." Troy quickly covered up and Hope sighed.

"I'm sorry; I know I shouldn't want her to be safe, it's just that she's my mother! I want to know her and yet I don't. I'm really confused." Hope placed her head in her hands in frustration. Troy looked over at Gabriella and saw that she shared the same confused look on her face. Gabriella was about to say something but Vanessa walked in.

"Hope, do you want to come with me?" Vanessa asked the young girl. Hope looked up and then at Gabriella who nodded slightly. She then looked at Vanessa and nodded.

"Y-Yeah sure..." She said uncertainly. Hope stood up and followed Vanessa out of the kitchen and into the living room. Back in the kitchen Troy and Gabriella let out a sigh.

"What do you think is gonna happen?" Gabriella asked her boyfriend.

"Honestly Brie, I don't know." He said as he pulled her onto his lap. "But you'll be fine, I promise." He whispered in her ear.

"As long as I'm with you, I know I will." She replied making Troy grin from ear to ear.

**In the living room...**

Hope sat down in between her father and Zac. Her mother was sitting opposite her with Julio.

"Urm I think we should give Hope, Celina and Rocky some space." Vanessa said as she forced her husband and ex-brother-in-law to get up. The two men stood up unwillingly and walked out of the room with Vanessa following them. They closed the door and Hope sighed. It was just them three now. Hope looked at her father and sighed, it didn't look like he was going to start talking any time soon.

"So how have you been?" Hope looked up at her mother. Celina smiled slightly; if they weren't going to start the conversation then she thought she would.

"Well I've been okay, got married to a woman who stuck around and gave Hope what she needed. A mother." Rocky's tone was bitter. Celina winced but wasn't exactly expecting him to welcome her with open arms.

"Who?" Was her next question.

"Hope's nanny. We just clicked from the start and she treated Hope like her own daughter. So we got married and Lynda gave birth to Hope's little sister, Cheryl. Lynda has definitely made us into one happy family no thanks to you." Rocky paused for a second. "Actually I have to thank you, if you hadn't abandoned your daughter then I wouldn't have met Lynda and I wouldn't be as happy as I am today. So thanks for being a deadbeat mother." Rocky thanked his daughter's biological mother. Celina closed her eyes.

"_They need a real father, not some deadbeat dad who ran off with his ex."_ She remembered what Julio had said to her the day the twins had found out about them. She scoffed at her own reaction to that sentence. She had walked away from him even though she knew that she had done something similar to her own daughter. She was a deadbeat mother who went back to ruin her ex's life. That was even worse than running away with her ex.

"Leila, darling..." Celina began to say.

"My name is Hope." Hope told her mother sternly.

"You'll always be Leila to me." Celina answered back with a soft tone.

"But I'll never be your daughter." Hope said quietly. Celina just stared at her daughter. "You left me when I needed you the most. You left Dad when he needed you. What did you leave for anyway? Some guy who was already married and had two girls himself. Why did you go and ruin someone else's perfect life when you could've had your own with us? I don't get it." Hope wanted to know. Celina looked down in shame.

"I wanted what I couldn't have. I loved him so much, I still do." Celina said with tears in her eyes.

"So you showed your love for him by making his wife commit suicide and then abusing one of her daughter's repeatedly and spoiling the other one and treating her like a princess. Wow, if that's how you treat your children, then I'm glad you left me. So, like Dad, I have to thank you for taking yourself out of my life." Hope said and stood up to leave.

"I'm sorry." Celina said. Hope scoffed.

"It's too late to apologize." She replied, _'Timbaland was spot on with that song'_, she thought to herself as she walked out of the room with her father following her. Rocky closed the door behind him, drowning out Celina's sobs.

"Are you sure about this Hope?" Rocky asked his daughter. Hope nodded.

"Yeah, she left me a long time ago; it's not that hard for me to leave her now." Hope explained. Rocky nodded. The father and daughter walked into the kitchen and looked at everyone looking at the anxiously.

"She's all yours." Hope said to Julio. The older man stood up and made his way into the living room to have a few, maybe his last, words with his, for lack of a better word, wife. Rocky turned to Zac.

"What have you decided then?" He asked. Zac sighed.

"There is only one thing we can do about her." He started out saying.

"Turn her in." Vanessa finished off for her husband. Hope nodded in agreement.

"That would be the best for everyone." She said. Everyone agreed. Gabriella smiled sadly at her step-sister.

"I'm sorry." She apologised on Celina's behalf.

"You don't have to apologise, it's not as if any of this is your fault. Celina brought it on herself." Hope said, Gabriella nodded and took it as a sign of forgiveness.

"Okay then, as long as you're happy Hope." Gabriella said and went to sit down next to Troy. Hope smiled and looked at her father.

"I thought I wanted to get to know her and y'no have some mother/daughter time with her but just seeing how you reacted with her made me mad at her. If she makes you feel bad then I don't want to know her." Hope told her father. Rocky smiled.

"Thanks." He said giving her a brief hug.

**In the living room...**

Julio sat opposite Celina and watched as she wiped up her tears.

"Quit the act Celina." He spoke bluntly. Celina's head snapped up and she gave him a look. "Don't give me that look Ce, I know you, more than anyone else and I know you've got something going on at the moment. What is it? Or here's a better question, who is it?"Julio asked his wife. Celina gave him another look.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said with an innocent look on her face. Julio raised an eyebrow.

"So you're gonna sit there and act as if you don't know what I'm talking about?" He asked her. Celina thought for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah because I really don't know what you're talking about." She said. Julio laughed.

"So you thought that I just laid in my bed last night depressed because of what I found out about you?" Julio began to say. This time Celina raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't just lay there and wallow in despair because somehow I knew that you had done something behind my back. But I didn't think you were heartless enough to go and have a kid AND then abandon that kid to come and ruin my life! Wow Celina. And know you expect me to believe that you don't have some kind of back-up plan? Some way out of this? Other arrangements? Because I'm not stupid Celina." Julio laughed at his wife. Celina frowned.

"Do you really believe that I'm trying to run away?" She asked him, her eyes full of water. Julio laughed again.

"Hell yeah!" He answered. "It's the one thing that I am positive about nowadays." He told her. Celina rolled her eyes at his behaviour. "You'll do anything to get yourself out of trouble Ce. That's a definite fact." Julio was staring at her now. Celina matched his stare and smiled.

"Well you're wrong there Julio. I'll take what I'm given." Celina said. Julio shook his head.

"You're not going to be given anything at all, but you're going to get a lot of things taken away from you." Julio said as he stood up.

"Well in that case..." Celina's sentence trailed off as Julio smirked at her. "Maybe I do have something else planned." She said quietly. Julio laughed harshly.

"There is nothing left for you now." He said before walking towards the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob and looked back at the woman who he gave his heart to. "You lost it all." He said and walked out of the room. Celina just looked at him leave.

"I may have lost you and everything else that comes with you, but I won't lose my freedom Julio. You cannot take that away from me." Celina said as she took out her cell phone. She sighed and gathered her strength before dialling in a familiar number that she had grown to remember over the past few days. She held the cell to her ear and listened as the phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times before someone answered her call.

"Hello." Celina smiled as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone.

"Hey, I think it's time for me to come home." She said with a smirk.

**In the kitchen...**

"So you're going to go back next week?" Chanel asked her step-sister. Hope nodded.

"Yeah, Dad misses Lynda and Cherry, and so do I. I miss my mates as well; being away from them is like torture for me." Hope told Chanel. The other girl nodded.

"I kind of get what you mean. I hated leaving all my friends behind when we moved. Gabriella was lucky because she didn't have to let anyone go. It was my fault she didn't have anyone in the first place but..." Chanel babbled on.

"I get what you mean Chanel, relax." Hope laughed at Chanel's rambling. "What're you going to do? I mean are you going to stay here?" Hope asked. Chanel thought for a moment.

"No I don't want to stay; I want to go back to San Francisco. Re-build my life over there because it'll be very hard to do that over here. Plus I heard Dad talking about it on the phone yesterday." Chanel told Hope. The blonde nodded.

"It'll be good for you." She said.

"Yeah but the one thing I'm not sure about is Gabriella. She seems so happy here and with Troy and her friends. I don't really want to take that away from her because I'm always ruining her life. Does that make sense?" Chanel asked. Hope nodded.

"Yeah...yeah it does." She answered. Hope looked over at Gabriella who was having a laugh with Troy. They were both washing the mugs that had been used. Gabriella was washing and Troy was drying. But it looked like they were playing about with the washing-up liquid and smacking each other with the towels. All in all they looked like they were having fun and Hope knew that is she were Chanel or anybody in the world, she wouldn't want to break that up.

**Outside...**

"Thanks man, really." Zac said as he hung up. Vanessa looked at him. "He'll hear us out." He said, Vanessa smiled and gave him a hug.

"That's brilliant news." She told him. Zac smiled.

"It's bloody terrific news. Now he wants to see us in about an hour. So we should go tell the old hag to pack her broomstick, because she's flying out of here." Zac made a whooshing sound making Vanessa laugh.

"You are so lame." She said as she ruffled his hair.

"But you still love me." Zac said looking into her eyes. Vanessa blushed and looked down, as if she was a little girl again. She looked up at her husband and pushed him back.

"You know I do." She said and then took his hand. Zac smiled and let Vanessa lead him into the house. They went into the living room and expected to find Celina seated there, but she wasn't. Vanessa looked at Zac and they both ran into the kitchen. "Where's Celina?" Vanessa asked.

"Upstairs" Rocky told them, "She wanted to pack her things."

"Why? She doesn't know that she's leaving yet." Zac asked. Rocky shrugged. "C'mon." Zac tugged Vanessa and the pair ran through the hallway and up the stairs. They sped past Julio and towards the guest bedroom.

"Celina..." Vanessa knocked on the door. Julio walked up to the pair and waited for an answer as well. "Celina...?" Vanessa called out for her again. She looked at her husband and he motioned for her to step back. He kicked the door with his foot and the three entered the room.

"Celina?" Julio called out his wife's name. The three looked around the room before coming to one conclusion.

"She's gone." They said together.

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**Dun...dun...duuuun...**

**Didn't expect that did ya?**

**So until my next update.**

**Peace x**


	23. The Price

**I'm surprised that I actually got this done! I'm back to school and the pressure of A-Levels is back on, and Fanfiction is the least of my concerns at the moment, so this is a warning, I might not upload weekly, probably when I actually feel like spending some time writing. For those who are reading Best of Both Worlds as well, well that story is on hiatus until I've finished this one. I'd rather handle one story at a time!**

**Anyway enough of me rambling, on with the story...**

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**Zac, Vanessa and Julio stayed standing in the empty guest bedroom, trying to get their heads around the fact that Celina had gone. Disappeared. Vanished. Julio walked over to the closet and opened the doors, there was nothing there.

"I not too surprised." Julio announced, closing the doors and turning around to face the couple. It was true that he wasn't surprised, he had a hunch that she was planning to escape anyway.

"I don't think I'm surprised, I'm just furious!" Zac finally spoke. He threw his hands in the air and his face was turning bright red not in embarrassment but in anger. He took in a deep breath and looked over at Julio, his eyes narrowed and he began to pace. Vanessa looked at her husband with concern, he always paced when he was angry and that hardly happened. "Do you know how long it took me to contact Ed?" He turned to Julio as if he were directing the question at him. "It took me ages! That's what it took!" Zac answered his own question. "Then I was kept on hold for a couple of hours and then when I finally got to talk to him it wasn't as if he were free! No, I had to arrange a meeting that fit into his busy schedule and I was so lucky to get a time slot today! Then what happens? She just ups and leaves as if she's a free woman..." By now Zac was talking to himself, rambling on about how inconsiderate it was for Celina to leave. Vanessa looked at her husband and sighed, rambling wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"You knew, didn't you?" She turned to face Julio. The older man nodded and that caught Zac's attention. He stopped rambling and just stared at Julio.

"So you let her get away?" Zac turned his anger on Julio and glared at his ex-best-friend.

"All I knew was that she had some sort of back-up plan, I didn't know that she would put it into action this quickly. I mean, didn't you see it coming. It was kind of obvious." Julio told the couple.

"Yeah he's right Zac. Celina is a very sneaky woman and we were too busy in thinking of way to punish her and that gave her the opportunity to find a way out."Vanessa told her husband. Zac nodded and walked out of the room. Julio and Vanessa followed him out and down the stairs. They walked through the hallway and into the kitchen where everyone was waiting for them.

"Where is she?" Hope asked, looking for her mother, wanting to grab her last look. She knew that it was pathetic but she wanted to at least have a vivid image of what her mother looked like. Zac looked at Hope's hopeful face and sighed. Once again her mother had abandoned her.

"She's gone." Vanessa answered for him. Zac turned away as he saw Gabriella rise from her seat, her face as pale as ever.

"Wh-What?" She asked, her hand immediately clutched her heart. The other hand fished around for Troy's hand. Troy stood up and let Gabriella lean against him. He could almost feel the fear and the tension radiating off her body.

"Are you serious?" He asked placing his arms around his girlfriend trying to relax her. Gabriella let out a deep breath and relaxed in Troy's arms. The three adults nodded.

"She had already made a plan." Chanel spoke up, the pieces of the puzzle were adding up together in her mind. "She knew what was going to happen. She wanted to find a way out and we gave her enough time to call in a favour and make a run for it." Chanel told them what she thought. Zac nodded, she had got it right.

"She's right." He spoke.

"But on the plus side she's gone." Everyone looked over at Dan with a puzzled look on their faces.

"No that's the problem." Zac told the young boy, he didn't want Celina to be free, he just wanted her to be locked up, so that he could wipe the fear out of Gabriella's mind.

"No, you were going to get rid of her anyway. So either way she's out of your lives." Dan explained.

"But what if she decides to come back?" Gabriella asked, her fear evident again.

"She won't come back, because everyone knows about her now." Chanel reassured her sister. There were nods of agreement in the room. There was no way that Celina would show her face again, not if she wanted to get arrested and locked up for the rest of her life.

"That's true, so we're free..." Julio's mouth curled up into a smile. He turned around to find Zac and just found Vanessa standing alone, Zac had disappeared. Troy smiled and hugged Gabriella tightly.

"You're free Brie." Troy whispered in Gabriella's ears. The Latina just grinned as she turned around and hugged her boyfriend.

"I'm free." She whispered as she closed her eyes. Chanel grinned and hugged Dan.

"We're all free." She whispered in his ear. Dan smiled.

"I wasn't bothered about Celina anyway, I'm just glad to have you back." Dan told her. Chanel just grinned, knowing that she was glad to be back as well. Everyone was happy; they were rid of the witch for once and for all. A pair of sparkling green eyes watched them celebrate from the kitchen window. She sighed and brushed a strand of her jet black hair away from her eyes. She stood up and picked up her bags, dragging them with her as she walked away from her previous life. She placed a pair of black shades over her eyes and then forced a smile as she neared the silver BMW that was waiting for her. She reached the car and the boot opened up, Celina walked around and dumped her stuff into the back of the car. She closed the boot and then walked over to the front passenger seat of the car. She opened the door and sat inside. Did her seatbelt and looked over at the driver.

"Let's get out of here." She said to the brunette whose hands were on the steering wheel. The brunette turned to face her and grinned, showing off a set of pearly white teeth. "Take me home." She demanded.

"Anything for you baby." Celina smiled as the brunette placed his own aviator lenses over his dark, murderous eyes. She turned to face the front and took one more look at the Montez house. Yeah she may have lost a lot, but she had gained so much more. Celina let out a laugh as her mysterious man out the car in drive and drove her away from her past and into her future. What she didn't know was that a pair of dark, murderous, deep blue eyes were watching her from a distance. He noted down the registration plate number and smirked.

"You're not getting away that easily." He said and then turned to walk back into the house.

Back in the kitchen Vanessa was looking through cupboards, searching for food and utensils. She wanted to cook a celebratory dinner for Gabriella and her friends and also Julio. There was only one person who wouldn't be celebrating and Vanessa was sad to admit that it was her own husband.

"I'll go call my mom; she'll want to help you." Troy suggested making Vanessa jump. She regained her balance and smiled at her niece's boyfriend.

"Yeah, a little help would be nice. I haven't cooked a meal like this since...ever." Vanessa admitted. Troy grinned and then walked out of the room. Gabriella was walking through the hall way coming to meet him and the pair bumped into each other.

"Hey, I was just coming to see you." Gabriella said. Troy nodded.

"Yeah but I've got to go home. Mom would want to help Vanessa out." Gabriella nodded and followed him out of the house. "So I guess you're coming with me." Troy smiled at her.

"Thanks for offering. I'd love to accompany you." Gabriella held his hand tightly as they walked over to Troy's house. They reached the front door and rang the doorbell. "This is where I first saw you." Gabriella grinned at the memory. The first time she had looked into those deep blue eyes and she just heard the fireworks instantly.

"Not really." Troy replied. Gabriella looked at him with a confused expression on her face. "Well that was the first time you saw me, I saw you a couple of hours earlier standing on your balcony, looking at the view with a very serene look on your face, and you glanced down at peasant's for two seconds and then retreated into your castle. You looked lovely from my backyard but when I saw you up close, wow what a knockout." Troy shook his head. He too had heard the fireworks when their eyes connected for the first time. Gabriella grinned.

"You're not a peasant; you're a king in my eyes." She told him. Troy was happy and pleased at the same time. If his teammates were here then they would dub him as being whipped. Troy leant down and gave Gabriella a kiss.

"Aw isn't that adorable." Troy removed his lips from Gabriella's and found his mother looking at them with tears in her eyes. Gabriella blushed and Troy groaned.

"Not now mom." He said before she took out the camera. Lucille sighed.

"Okay, but you just wait until Prom." Lucille said to the couple. Gabriella giggled and Troy just smiled.

"That's a promise but right now Vanessa needs your help with a celebratory dinner." Troy said. Lucille's face lit up.

"Celina's been taken to jail?" She yelled loudly causing Jack to abandon his newspaper and run into the hallway and stop next to his wife.

"Come again." He said breathlessly.

"No she's not been taken to jail. She ran away." Troy crashed his parent's happy plane. Lucille's smile dropped and she looked over at Gabriella.

"Oh, you poor thing." She spoke with sympathy. Gabriella gave her an odd look.

"I'm not upset over the fact that she's gone and I'm not so scared either. She's left but she won't dare to come back because each and every single person can get her done for child abuse. She knows that, so she's gone for good. So I'm free, it doesn't get better than that." Gabriella explained. The Bolton's nodded and smiled at the girl who they treated like their daughter.

"As long as you're safe..." Lucille said hugging the Latina.

"...And you're happy, we're cool with that." Jack finished off. Gabriella smiled at Troy's parents, she was lucky to have met this family and it was all because of Chanel that she had met them. If Chanel hadn't invited them to dinner then Gabriella wouldn't have gotten to know Troy, his family and his friends. She would probably still be a nobody, it was kind of ironic. The more Chanel tried to take her down, the more powerful Gabriella had become.

"Now that we're all cool with everything, you can go and help Vanessa with the cooking..." Troy told his mother.

"...Before she burns it. Yeah, Uncle Zac said that she has a tendency to burn down kitchens. Sad really, we've got such a beautiful kitchen." Gabriella finished off Troy's sentence. Lucille's eyes widened and she hurried past the young couple and her husband. The three laughed as the older woman raced towards the Montez house.

"That's true y'no." Troy looked at his father who stopped laughing immediately.

"So where are you two headed now?" Jack asked his son after clearing his throat.

"We're off to see the gang. We haven't seen them for a couple of days and we want to invite them to join us celebrate." Troy told his father. Jack nodded.

"Well I'd better get to your house..." He said nodding towards Gabriella. "Who else is going to save your mother?" He winked at the couple before closing the front door and jogging over to the Montez home. Gabriella giggled as he left.

"Your Dad is hilarious." She said. Troy frowned.

"Funnier than me?" He asked her. Gabriella shook her head and kissed him on the cheek.

"You're about as funny as apple pie." She commented and then walked off. Troy smiled for a moment and then frowned.

"Hey!" He called out after her realising that she wasn't exactly complimenting him.

**Martha's bedroom...**

"Okay now I'm bored..." Sharpay said after they finished watching the new Gossip Girl episode.

"I'm not, I like watching the Gossip Girl ladies do their thing." Chad said and smirked. Taylor raised an eyebrow.

"And what might that 'thing' be?" She asked her boyfriend who cowered under her glare. Sharpay laughed at her Afro headed friend. She just loved watching Taylor and Chad fight; it was interesting and seeing Chad get hit upside the head never got old.

"Urm...err...the bitch fights they have!" Chad's face lit up as he found his alibi. Taylor shook her head, not believing him for a second.

"I would have believed that if you hadn't gone 'urm...err...' at the start of your sentence." Taylor imitated Chad and made Sharpay burst out laughing. The blonde's friends looked at her.

"What? That was funny, her imitation was funny. Come on! It was hilarious!" Sharpay defended herself even though she didn't have to.

"Yeah it was pretty funny." A deep, familiar, amused voice entered the conversation and everyone turned to face the door. There standing in his black polo, ripped jeans and scruffy sneakers stood Troy Bolton with his infamous smile and sparkling cerulean orbs.

"Troy!" Chad jumped up and ran over to hug his best friend. As soon as he made contact with his co-captain he stepped back. Troy shot him a 'what-the-hell' look. "I mean, great to see you Captain." He punched Troy playfully and then shuffled back to his spot on the floor. Leaving an awkward silence in the room. Of course it had to be broken by Sharpay bursting into a fit of laughter...again.

"I...so...love being...your...mate." She said through her laughter. Chad smiled sarcastically at his rich friend.

"Ditto." He replied.

"Anyway, where's Gabi?" Taylor looked around for her best friend. And right on cue, Gabriella jumped out from behind Troy.

"Hello!" She yelled and then gave her friends a big smile. Taylor jumped up and ran over to hug Gabriella. Unlike Chad she didn't pull back automatically, possibly because she didn't have to.

"Oh my God, Gabi! It's so great to see you alive and well. You look gorgeous, but then again that's nothing new." Taylor complimented her best friend. Gabriella blushed.

"I like your new haircut, very sophisticated, very...you" She said touching her friend's new sleek cut bob. Taylor grinned.

"Well as much as I love the hair talk..." Sharpay interrupted by pulling Gabriella into another soul sucking hug. The pair pulled away and Sharpay had tears in her eyes. "You really do look good Gabs." She said looking down at Gabriella's newly purchased clothes.

"Thanks, freedom does that to you. Plus I have to keep up with that stunner over there." She pointed over to Troy who just rolled his eyes.

"Oh come one Brie, you know you're the one with the looks in the relationship." Troy argued.

"...and apparently the brains as well." Gabriella mumbled. Kelsi smiled.

"They're back and as witty and flirty as ever." The brunette stood up and gave her friends a hug. One by one the girls and the guys greeted the massively missed friends.

"Anyway..." Ryan said as they all sat down once again. "I hate to be the one to make the mood go pfft, but what happened to Celina?" He asked the question that was on everyone's minds, including Troy and Gabriella's.

"You know what...we don't actually know." Gabriella said, confusing her friends.

"What she means is that Celina took off and we don't know where she's gone, who she's with and what she plans to do. What we do know is that she isn't going to come back. That's a promise." Troy explained and there were nods all around.

"Yup that about sums it up, so do you guys wanna come celebrate with us?" Gabriella asked.

"Do you even have to ask?" Sharpay said standing up quickly.

"All we've been doing all day is staring at the TV! It's been so boring!" Martha spoke up.

"What are we waiting for then?" Troy asked his friends, took Gabriella's hand and then ran out of the room with everyone at his heels. Gabriella laughed as they reached the outside of the house and waited for everyone to catch up. They then slowed down and walked slowly to the Montez household where a lovely celebration party awaited them.

**The Montez Household...**

"Mhmm, that smells nice."Vanessa let the smell of Lucille's cooking fill her nostrils and flow through her body. "What is that?" She asked. Lucille smiled.

"A speciality of mine, it's called Minestrone." Lucille told Vanessa. The younger woman nodded.

"Oh, okay and that is..." She asked again. Lucille laughed this time.

"It's an Italian-style bean and vegetable soup. With a secret ingredient of course." Lucille said tapping her nose. Vanessa laughed at her gesture.

"It's only us two in the room, come on, spill." Vanessa begged Troy's mother. Lucille sighed and looked Vanessa in the eye.

"Tomato." She whispered. Vanessa nodded.

"How so?" She asked.

"It gives the soup and cooked all day flavour. Plus add some mixed spices and you'll get a little bit of a Spanish touch to it as well." Lucille told the proud Latina. Vanessa nodded.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind for when we have our next romantic dinner at home...actually make that our first romantic dinner at home." Lucille laughed.

"That's what I said when my mother told me the recipe. Jack loved it and now demands for it to be made every day. Obviously if I made it every day it wouldn't be special." Lucille said. Vanessa nodded.

"That's true." She agreed.

"What's true?" She turned around to find her husband standing in the doorway grinning at her with a cheeky look in his eyes.

"That you are going to love this soup." She said. Zac nodded.

"As much as I love you?" He asked her, whilst walking towards her.

"More. Maybe." Vanessa pretended to think about it. Zac laughed at her.

"That is so not possible."He said as he gave her a hug. Vanessa smiled as she held onto her husband; all of a sudden she felt a shiver down her spine and remembered Marie. Her cousin, who loved Julio and is she were in Vanessa's place and Julio in Zac's then she would've been a very happy girl. Vanessa frowned as she realised the sense of loss in the Montez family. "You okay?" Zac asked his wife. Vanessa snapped out of her trance and beamed up at him.

"Yeah I'm perfectly happy." She said as she snuggled into his arms. "But are you?" She asked her husband. Zac sighed and nodded.

"I'm still furious, how could she just leave? But don't worry, I'll get her." Zac said smiling. Vanessa felt a shiver down her spine again and this time it was because of the sentence her husband had just uttered. It was so cold.

"You're not going to do anything stupid? Are you?" She asked, looking into his eyes, unsure of what she was searching for. Zac looked down at her.

"Nope, I'm going to do something smart." He spoke with determination. Vanessa nodded.

"Just be careful, I don't like that woman." Vanessa said pulling away from Zac who missed her warm embrace as soon as she left him. She turned around and went back to cooking with Lucille. Zac just watched her with a smile.

"I won't do anything that you don't like." He said to himself.

**In a motel nearby...**

"So...would it have hurt for you to come and meet me some time or another?" Celina pushed the covers off her body and searched around for her clothes.

"It would have been risky." She spoke over her shoulder, her eyes lit up as she spotted her shirt in a far corner of the room. "Lee you know I was held up." She said as she pulled it over her head. "...Trousers..." She said as she looked around for her brown pants.

"Near the drawer." Lee said, remembering where he threw the piece of clothing. Celina thanked him and walked over to where her pants lay. Lee watched her as she put them on.

"Thanks for coming to get me." She thanked him. Lee nodded.

"No worries, anything for you." He said as he got out of bed himself. Celina smiled sadly. She was glad to get away from that...prison. But sad at the same time, she had truly lost a lot. A chance to get to know her daughter, her beautiful daughter. Leila...Hope had turned out differently than what she expected but Celina was still stunned by the girl who held her genes. She had also lost her chance with Chanel. Her step-daughter, one that would jump off a cliff if Celina wanted her too. It was a shame that she changed and just favoured her good-for-nothing sister. Celina's thoughts turned bitter as she remembered Gabriella. By remembering Gabriella she remembered Marie and finally remembered Julio. The love of her life, lost. That was the price she had to pay.

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**I tried my best to write the best and I think it's okay so please leave a review! Thanks.**

**Until the next update.**

**Peace x  
**


	24. Fairytale Ending

**It's the second to last chapter! It's a bit short but the epilogue will be a lot longer, I promise.**

**Anyway enjoy and review if you like it!**

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There was a silence in the Montez Household that night, it wasn't eerie or dark. It was quite comfortable. Gabriella thought it was almost peaceful. She raked a hand through her raven-coloured locks and sighed.

"You okay?" Gabriella turned her head and found Troy staring back at her. She nodded.

"Yeah, it's just been one heck of day."

"More like one heck of a week." Troy said and sat up. The couple were lying under the covers of Gabriella's old bed in her old room at her old room. But they weren't alone. Chad and Taylor were bunking on the floor, on top of Gabriella's and Chanel's old sleeping bags. Chanel, Dan and Bella were sleeping comfortably in Chanel's room. Chanel and Bella on the bed (well that's what Julio thought) and Dan on the couch. Hope and Rocky had crashed in the guest bedroom whilst Zac and Vanessa occupied the living room couch. Julio was snoring away in his own room.

Troy's parents had left hours ago, letting him stay over. Sharpay and Ryan were expected home and Zeke had to leave as well. Martha, Jason and Kelsi wanted to stay but had to leave. It was one heck of a week alright, but it was also one heck of a celebration party.

"Hmm..." Gabriella agreed with her boyfriend. Troy's eyes swept over her face.

"You okay?" He asked sensing that something was troubling her.

"Yeah I guess, I mean she's gone. I'm free. But somehow it feels.... fake. I keep on thinking that she's just going to come back again. Come after _me_ again." She sighed and looked down, she was scared. Troy shook his head.

"No, she's not coming back and if she tries to get near you then I'll be there instantly, shielding you from her. I'm not going to let you get hurt again Brie. You mean so much to me and I don't think I can take you getting hurt again." His voice was full of so much determination and passion, Gabriella's eyes filled up with tears at the sound of it.

"I-I think I love you Troy." She whispered quietly. But Troy heard every word she spoke and smiled.

"I think I love you too Gabriella." He said her full name, still loving how it just rolled off his tongue. Gabriella smiled at him and moved forward so that their lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss. Gabriella smiled as she ran her hands though Troy's hair, his arms moved around her waist. "I love you so much, so very much." He mumbled against her lips and she grinned again.

"I love hearing you say that." She replied.

"I love saying it."

"And I'd love it if you two shut up and went to sleep." Gabriella and Troy sprung apart at the sound of Chad's groggy voice.

"Yeah put a sock in it." Taylor spoke next, her voice slightly muffled.

"Sorry..." Troy mumbled and Gabriella giggled as the couple on the floor grunted and went back to sleep. She looked back at Troy and grinned.

"I'm so glad I met you." She whispered. "You are without a doubt the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. You've given me a happy ending; you've given me my own Cinderella story." She had a calm and serene look on her face. Troy couldn't help but grin.

"I'm glad that I could be your Prince Charming. Surprisingly it's not a very hard role to play." He added. Gabriella giggled and snuggled closer to him.

"Sleep now, before Chadzilla wakes up. Love you." She said and closed her eyes.

"Love you too Brie." He whispered and kissed her forehead before falling into a deep slumber himself.

**Downstairs...**

Zac paced the living room floor and Vanessa watched him helplessly from the couch.

"Zac, what are you planning to do? She's gone; we don't know where she is and where she's going to go. So just leave it, please." Vanessa begged her husband to let it all go. Zac turned to face her.

"I can't leave it Vanessa, she ruined Gabriella's life. She was the reason why Marie killed herself. She abandoned her own child! How can I just sit back and watch her run off into the sunset and possibly find another one of her ex-lovers and ruin their lives?" Zac argued back. Vanessa sighed and stood up.

"Babes, it's not your job to catch her anymore, it's your job to save Marie's daughters now. What is Gabriella going to do now? I don't think that she's willing to stay with Julio now, this house alone holds enough bad memories for her, and how is she going to cope now?" Vanessa asked as she placed her arms around Zac's waist. She felt her man relax and shivered as his hands placed themselves on her lower back.

"I just need to figure out one thing at a time." He spoke in a calmer voice than before. The couple stood together for a few seconds, just relaxing in each other's embrace. Vanessa jumped slightly as she felt Zac's pants vibrate. Zac grinned slightly and then pulled out his Blackberry Storm from his front pocket.

"Yeah?" He answered the call and watched as Vanessa turned to walk away from him. "Hmm..." He said as he watched her saunter back to the couch and lay down. "Oh okay- wait – what?" He tore his eyes off Vanessa and concentrated on what he was being told on the phone. "That's great, more than great. That's unbelievable!" Zac yelled out loud. Vanessa sat up and smiled at the look of sheer excitement on his face. "Thanks so much mate. I owe you big time. Yeah...bye." Zac hung up and looked at his wife with a big smile plastered on his face.

"What happened?" Vanessa asked, wanting to share the good news. Zac walked towards her and pulled her up.

"When we found out that Celina had left, I walked out when you told Gabriella..." He began to say.

"Yeah Julio was looking for you, but you disappeared." Vanessa remembered.

"Yeah well I was pacing outside, thinking of a way to find Celina when a car pulled up in front of the house. I kind of hid in the bushes and saw Celina walk towards the car with her crap. She sat down and I quickly noted the registration plate number on my Blackberry. She sped off and I rang up my mate, the one who was going to lock up Celina anyway and he began a search straight away. He just rang me now and..." Zac paused.

"...and they caught her! They got Celina! Oh my God, that's brilliant!" Vanessa jumped up and down with excitement. "I thought you were going to do something stupid but I forgot that you are a very smart, smart man. You're my smart man." Vanessa grinned and pressed a kiss to her husband's lips. Zac smiled into the kiss and deepened it; he was full of joy and needed some way to express it.

"What's going on...whoa...?" The couple sprung apart and looked at the door; Gabriella and Troy were standing in the doorway, looking at the floor in embarrassment.

"Oh hey you two." Vanessa grinned. "We have some amazingly awesome news for you." She looked up at her husband who was still beaming with joy.

"Oh, kay." Gabriella said and clutched Troy's hand as they walked into the room. The pair sat down on the empty couch and waited for Zac and Vanessa to continue.

"Well, your Uncle is an extremely smart man, and, well, I'm just going to skip to the good part. Celina got caught! They caught her!" Vanessa said, jumping up and down with joy. Gabriella's eyes widened and she looked at Troy, whose face held nothing but happiness.

"Oh my God!" She finally spoke and turned to embrace Troy. "Now I'm really free." She whispered in his ear. Troy smiled and held her tightly, he was now absolutely certain that nothing would hurt her ever again.

"We have to tell the rest." Troy said and pulled her up with him as he stood up and made a run for the stairs. Zac and Vanessa were right behind him. Gabriella smiled as they opened the door to her bedroom. Chad and Taylor were sleeping peacefully in each other's arms. "Yo! Afro man, wake up!" Troy yelled into his best friend's ear.

"Huh? What? The square root of pie is 1.772453851!" Chad yelled as he woke up. Troy looked at his friend in disbelief and Gabriella giggled.

"You dream about the square root of... pie?" Troy asked. Chad shook his head.

"Nope, I dream about Taylor teaching me what the square root of pie is." He winked at Troy and then shook his girlfriend. "Get up Tay." He said.

"What?" She asked as she got up. Chad shook his head.

"Don't look at me woman. It was them." He pointed at Gabriella, Troy, Zac and Vanessa. Taylor turned her glare onto the four standing up.

"What?" She repeated.

"We just wanted to deliver some really good news." Troy spoke first.

"This better be good." Taylor warned him.

"Oh it is." Gabriella said, grinning. "Celina got caught!" She yelled and Taylor jumped off the floor and into Gabriella's arms.

"That is so cool!" Taylor said as the two girls did a happy dance. Chad just gave Troy a manly hug and nodded at Zac. He wasn't as excited, but would be in the morning when he'd had his full sleep."

"What's going on here?" They all turned around to find Chanel, Dan, Bella, Julio, Hope and Rocky standing at the doorway. Zac grinned.

"Well, at least we don't have to round them all up now." Vanessa laughed at his comment.

"Celina got caught! Celina got caught!" Gabriella and Taylor sang as they jumped around in circles. The six new pairs of eyes widened and then a lot of cheering and screaming was heard. Chanel ran over to her sister and grinned.

"Wow, you're really free now." She said as she gave her twin a hug.

"No... both of us are really free now." Gabriella said as she clung to her sister in happiness. Julio smiled tearfully as he placed his arms around his daughters.

"Your mother would have been so proud of you two. I wish she could be here." He said with sadness lacing his voice.

"She is here Dad, she's right there in your heart where she always was. You just had to open that door to let her back in." Gabriella pressed her hand to her father's heart and he nodded. Gabriella ran back into Troy's arms and smiled.

"This really has been my Cinderella story. I love you Troy." She smiled and he grinned down at her.

"I love you too Brie." He said and then captured her lips with his own in a heartbreakingly passionate kiss, filled with love and nothing but.

**In a motel nearby (an hour ago)...**

Celina took out her lighter and lit another cigarette. She was beyond depressed. She thought that leaving Julio behind and closing that chapter in her life would be easy. But it was so hard. So very hard. Everything she did reminded her of him. She needed him. She needed to let go of him. She had Lee now and he would make her happy. He was just like her, broken, confused and misunderstood. They needed each other.

"Lee?" She called out his name. She heard a grunt from behind her. "When are we going to leave?" She asked. She needed to get out of Albuquerque. She needed to get out of any place that reminded her of Julio. Also she needed to leave before they found her.

"In about half an hour we'll set off. How's that?' Lee asked her. Celina nodded.

"That's perfect." She replied. She took another drag and then put out the cigarette. There was a knock on the door.

"Get that will you?" Lee asked her. Celina stood up and walked over to the door. She opened it and came face to face with a man in a long coat, holding up a badge.

"Celina Montez. You're under arrest for child abuse; you have the right to remain silent. Boys, cuff her up." He nodded at her and a couple of men walked up to her with cuffs in their hands. "I'm sorry doll face but next time think before you go up against a guy like Zac. He knows what he wants and always gets what he wants." The detective told her as the officer's carried her away.

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**She got caught, she got caught! Zac is a very smart man =) lol**

**Anyway please review!**


	25. My Cinderella Story Epilogue

**Okayy, so I know it's late, like really late but in my defense I did have exams and all of that to go through. Plus I lost interest in the story as well, I didn't know how to end it. But anyway I hope that you like this ending!**

**Disclaimer: The last disclaimer for this story! I don't own High School Musical or any of the characters, even though I would still love to own Zac Efron =] I don't own 'Sneakernight', 'Sony Ericsson', 'Louis Vuitton', 'Yamashiro restaurant' and anything else that is obviously not owned by me. I do own Jen, David, Bella, Chanel, and any other characters that aren't part of the orginal High School Musical. Also the last thing is something I do own, and that is the plot!**

**Enjoy =)**

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_Basically what we're  
Gonna do is dance (x3)  
Yeah that's right  
It's sneakernight  
Basically what we're  
Gonna do is dance (x3)  
It will come easily  
When you hear the beat  
Basically what we're  
Gonna do is dance (x2)  
Don't you even worry  
Bout other plans  
Yeah that's right  
It's sneakernight!_

She jumped as she heard her new Sony Ericsson Xperia ring. She fumbled around in her bag, searching for the phone that her father had bought her for her 21st birthday. A triumphant smile appeared on her face when she found it. She pulled it out of her newly purchased, and instant favourite, Louis Vuitton bag. She pressed 'answer call' and then pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello." She spoke into the phone.

"Hey how's my favourite girlfriend doing today?" Her smile spread when she heard his voice. It was her favourite sound of all, deep and husky but incredibly soft and gentle.

"She's doing good and she's honoured that she's your favourite girlfriend." Her heart missed a beat when he chuckled. "Although, she was under the impression that she was your _only_ girlfriend." She bit back her laughter and tried to sound angry. But that was impossible to do when she was talking to him.

"Well I didn't know that she felt that way. Consider the rest of them dumped, she's the only one for me." He said his voice full of love. She melted at his words.

"Aw, Troy, that's so sweet. Your girlfriend is really happy and feeling extremely blessed right now. She told me to tell you that she loves you." She said bashfully. She was still the shy girl she always was.

"I love you too Brie." Troy answered. Gabriella blushed even more, if that was possible. "I can't wait to see you, I just wish that time would just fly." He sighed, as if he was in incredible pain. Gabriella giggled.

"Throw the clock out of the window, that might make your wish come true." She teased. Troy laughed sarcastically on the other end of the phone.

"Very funny Brie, I'll have to tell Chad that he might have some _serious _competition. After all, he can't be the clown of the gang forever. Taylor is drowning the fun side out of him slowly." He whispered the last part.

"Troy Alexander Bolton, that is not funny! Even though it is a little, teensy bit true." She added as an afterthought making her boyfriend snort with laughter. "Anyway Wildcat, I have to go now. I'm at the apartment now and the girls hate it when I walk in talking to you. I love you Prince Charming." She grinned.

"Love you too Cinders." Troy replied and then hung up. Gabriella sighed as she put her phone away; talking to Troy had always been the highlight of her day. She looked up at the apartment and sighed. It was more of a penthouse than an apartment. Sharpay had outdone herself when she showed the girls the place that they would be living in for however many years to come. Gabriella walked towards the front entrance and smiled at the doorman.

"Afternoon Miss Montez." Jonathon tipped his hat at the teenager. Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Not Miss Montez, Gabriella. How many times do I have to tell you that?" She feigned anger at him. Jonathon just chuckled and nodded as he opened the door for her to walk through. Gabriella thanked him and made her way to the elevator.

She entered the lift and pressed the button that took her up to the floor that Sharpay had scored for all of them. It was right at the top but it definitely beat all the other apartments into the ground. Gabriella smiled as she heard music being played. She stepped out of the elevator and walked the short distance to the actual door leading into the room. She took out her set of keys and found the bright pink one. She twisted the key in the lock and opened the door. As soon as she walked in she was hit by the smell of some sweet cookies.

"Zeke's here!" She said excitedly. She dropped all her bags at the door and ran into the massive kitchen. She grinned as she stood in the doorway watching Zeke feeding Sharpay a spoonful of cookie dough, neither of them paying attention to the cookie dough. "Hey guys!" She yelled, making them jump apart. Sharpay turned to look at her friend.

"Gabriella Anne Montez, don't ever do that again!" Sharpay said, resting a hand on her furiously beating heart. Gabriella just smiled sweetly and reached out for the bowl full of the cookie mixture that made her taste buds go crazy. Zeke tried to grab it first, but as always, he was too slow. Gabriella grinned again as she grabbed a spoon and started to devour the mixture.

"I hope you like it." Zeke glared at her whilst she ate. Gabriella nodded with the spoon in her mouth. Sharpay rolled her eyes at her friend's behaviour.

"So Gabs, what's new?" She asked. Gabriella thought for a moment.

"Oh! I might get promoted." She said happily. Sharpay smiled.

"Cool, to what?" She asked.

"Well the agony aunt is leaving and they want to create a whole new image for her. They want either me or Emily to be the new agony aunt." Gabriella rolled her eyes as she mentioned her rival at work. Sharpay laughed at her friend's sullen expression.

"Gabs, you know it's yours. The boss _adores_ you. He won't give it to that pile of bad hair extensions." Gabriella laughed at Sharpay's attitude towards her co-worker.

"She may have bad hair extensions and split ends..." Gabriella added as an afterthought. "...BUT she still thinks that she has a chance at grabbing Troy. It's infuriating." Gabriella shoved the spoon into the mixture violently. "She even has a picture of him put up on her wall with prints of her own kisses on it." She went on to say. Sharpay snorted.

"Honey, you have nothing to worry about, Troy is so into you, he doesn't even know that she exists. Hell, he doesn't even consider the fact that there are a million odd women out there, pining for him. He has you and that's all he ever wanted." Sharpay said. Gabriella nodded, feeling much better. She grabbed her last spoonful of cookie mixture before Zeke snatched the bowl off her. She stuck her tongue out at him and then hurried out of the room. She heard that beautiful music again.

Whilst she was walking towards the music room, she thought about Sharpay and Zeke's Disney story. Both went to the University of New Mexico, Sharpay focused on Performing Arts whilst Zeke did a course in Home Economics. Sharpay was now the proud owner of the Star Dazzle theatre as well as the newest and most fabulous nightclub in town, Sizzle. By day she was at Star Dazzle booking performances, and even letting in some acting classes and showing them some of her own stuff. By night she was the glamorous manager of Sizzle. Sizzle was decked out in the sweetest interior and the hottest barmen. Sharpay was pleased with her life.

Zeke too had made it big. He owned a chain of restaurants called Pay's, that were located almost all over the states. He was obviously the main chef and his recipes were fantastic. So good that he published his own cookery book as well as having his own cooking show called Baking with Baylor. He was, like Sharpay, satisfied with the way his life had turned out.

Even though the couple had made their names in the media world, they were still grounded. Zeke still made time to go back to Albuquerque where the first Pay's was built. It was his favourite restaurant because it was located in his home town. He always went to visit his parents and also made sure that they were as well off as he was. Sharpay didn't have to share her wealth with her parents but she always went to Lava Springs and gave them a show or two. She loved spending time with her family, no matter how long or short the visit was.

The one thing both Zeke and Sharpay had wanted to hold onto, more than their not so deflated egos, was each other. They stayed together through university and then they had to separate because Zeke was busy with his restaurant and Sharpay was trying to make a career for herself, but they still stayed friends. Now they were stronger than ever and also blissfully engaged. Gabriella grinned; Sharpay was more than happy to flaunt her massive diamond ring for the media. It was just in her nature to flaunt what she had.

The brunette reached the music room and opened the large, not surprisingly pink, doors. She smiled when she spotted her music loving friend seated at the piano, engrossed in writing her latest piece of music. Gabriella made her way over to the piano and sat down.

"Hey Kels." Gabriella greeted her friend. Kelsi stopped played and gave Gabriella a grin.

"Hey Gabs, back from work already?" She frowned, looking at the (again pink) clock hung up on the wall. It was only half three, Gabriella was home an hour earlier than usual.

"Yeah, I couldn't stand the stress and boss ordered me to go home. So I obliged like a good employee." Gabriella winked at her friend. Kelsi just laughed.

"Well that's good. So... what do you think?" She asked. Gabriella laughed; she knew that question was next.

"Kels, like all your other compositions, it's amazing. Mind-blowing and really beautiful. I love it. It kind of reminds me of..." Gabriella's sentence came to an end as she giggled. "Never mind." She said, still smiling. Kelsi shook her head.

"No, go on, tell me. Please?" She asked. Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"It's...it reminds me of Troy..." She said looking bashful. Kelsi grinned.

"I'm glad that it does. I feel so...so overwhelmed when you say things like that. You saying that means that my compositions mean something beautiful to someone. And that makes me very proud. So thanks Gabi." Kelsi explained. Gabriella smiled, her eyes wet, and she was overwhelmed with emotion just like Kelsi. There was a comfortable silence settling in between the girls and Gabriella let her eyes wander around the room, admiring what she saw.

The room was beyond beautiful. It was the one room Sharpay designed herself, with the rest of the girls' opinions as well. Music was the one thing that all six of the girls bonded over. Sharpay was a triple threat; she could sing, act and dance. Gabriella was an amazing singer as well as dancer. Taylor was alright at singing, but she beat all of them at ballroom dancing. Martha was an amazing hip-hop dancer and Jen was very versatile in her dancing. Kelsi was of course their main musician.

Gabriella brought her eyes back to the piano, admiring the engraved calligraphy. It read 'you are the music in me'. Kelsi's number one hit. Gabriella grinned, remembering back to the first time it was performed. That was the first time she performed with Troy as well. It was a magical experience and every time she heard the song, she fell more and more in love with Troy, because it was undoubtedly their song. It was also a very valid expression. Troy was the music in her; he brought out the best of her and stuck with her through thick and thin.

She noticed some music sheets sitting atop the piano and reached out to grab them. Her eyes scanned the page and then rested on the title. The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.

"Jason's Melody." She spoke and smirked at Kelsi who was blushing slightly. "Play it, please." Gabriella asked. Kelsi nodded and touched the keys with her fingers. Beautiful music was heard throughout the room and it travelled through the house, putting a smile on Gabriella's face. The melody reflected Jason and Kelsi's relationship perfectly, it was simple but strong.

The high school sweethearts were, well, still high school sweethearts. Their relationship had never faltered nor broken. They were as strong as ever. The couple were both quiet and shy, and yet they were the most talkative amongst the couples. They usually kept to themselves but when they found out about Gabriella's background, they just came out and were heard.

Jason was quite the clown in high school but after seeing Gabriella's situation he became more serious and actually tried in life. He went to the University of New Mexico, with Zeke and Sharpay, and carried on in basketball. His basketball career ended after University because he wanted to do something more worthwhile. That was also the year when his life was kind of torn apart. His father had gotten arrested for fraud and that was when Jason decided on what he wanted to be. So he started to train to be a policeman. He was now a part of the L.A.P.D. and he loved every moment of it.

Kelsi had taken a different route. She got offered a scholarship to Julliard and she went for it. She spent two years there, focusing on her music. Then she graduated and began writing her own music. Her pieces of music were featured in multiple plays and sometimes on soundtracks for independent movies. Kelsi had also started writing songs. She wanted Troy and Gabriella to sing 'You Are the Music in Me' for her, because it was her first masterpiece. But the company who wanted the song, wanted famous singers to sing it. Kelsi refused because that song meant a lot to Gabriella and Troy and she couldn't ever imagine another couple singing it. But since then Kelsi began to write songs and she's been writing some for an up and coming singer, Aurora DeLuca.

The couple had very demanding jobs but they still made time for each other. Enough time to get Kelsi pregnant anyway. The petite musician was two months along and she was feeling on top of the world. Prior to the pregnancy, Jason proposed. He wanted to do it the right way, they way that their parents approved of as well. They were due to get married in a month, before Kelsi started to show.

"That was beautiful Kels." Gabriella praised her friend. She looked up at the time and sighed. "I've gotta go now, Chanel will be expecting my call and you know how cranky she gets-" Gabriella paused. "Actually you'll find that out for yourself."She let out a giggle and then skipped out of the room; humming the tune she had labelled 'Prince Charming', after her Prince Charming.

She made her way over to her own bedroom and opened the doors. She walked into the, only, blue room and smiled. Being in the comfort of her own room made her relax, or maybe it was the fact that the colour was relaxing. She walked over to her massive closet (Sharpay had insisted on enlarging it) and pulled out Troy's old Varsity jacket and some shorts. After getting changed into them, she raced over to the phone. She dialled in, the now familiar, number and waited for her sister to pick up. After three rings, a very moody Chanel Montez answered the phone.

"Gabriella Montez, late, yet again, I can't stay up forever you know." Gabriella rolled her eyes at her sister's 'welcome'. Chanel was still a drama queen.

"Chan, five minutes, and it's not as if it's hitting three in the morning overseas." She argued back. Chanel sighed.

"Yeah, yeah whatever, anyway. What's been going on in your life dearest sister of mine?" Gabriella giggled at her sister's change of mood. But she still got that weird feeling in her stomach after contemplating the fact that her sister really did want to know what was going on in her life. It was something she still hadn't got used to.

After Celina had been arrested, Chanel had apologized to Gabriella and the gang again. That was when Gabriella realised that maybe it was time to forgive her sister, after all what happens in the past always stays in the past. Chanel was making an effort when she could've been resentful towards Gabriella and Gabriella felt as if she should respond. She didn't want to lose her sister just like she had lost her mother. So Gabriella and Chanel started over as sisters. They began to get to know each other again and got involved in each other's lives like sisters should. Now they didn't even look like two girls who resented each other, they just looked like two normal and extremely close siblings.

Their father, however, was still distraught over everything that had happened. He didn't see himself as being fit to be a father to both girls. So for a few months after Celina was taken away, Gabriella and Chanel lived with Zac and Vanessa. Then Julio decided that he wanted to go back to San Francisco and reunite with his parents, in some hope that they would help him get through everything. The twins wanted to accompany him but he insisted that they stay where they were. He didn't want his depression to limit them.

His idea worked out in the end. He finally got over all the stress and even visited Celina once in jail. He was currently situated in Albuquerque and was getting along just fine with his neighbour, Jasmine. Zac and Vanessa were still set in Albuquerque and after Gabriella and Chanel left for college, they adopted the cute Derek from the care home. Now the twins had a handsome brother to go home to.

"Well, I think I've got the promotion at the office and Troy is coming down tomorrow. He's taking me out to dinner and it sounds extremely formal." Gabriella beamed as she spoke of her lover.

"What're you gonna wear?" Chanel asked. Gabriella snorted; Chanel was so much like Sharpay that it was scary sometimes. The two had bonded over their love of fashion and the limelight. This was good when none of the other girls, or Zeke, wanted to go shopping or talk about anything fashion related. It was bad when anyone went out on a date or attended an event. They would get mobbed with mascara, eyeliner, foundation and everything in between.

"I don't know yet." Gabriella realised that she had to find something. She couldn't go in what she was wearing after all.

"You'd better decide quickly, it's not as if you can go wearing Troy's varsity jacket with shorts, which you're wearing right now." Gabriella's eyes widened.

"How did you know that?" She asked.

"Twin's intuition..." Chanel shrugged. "Besides, you like having something 'Troy' on you all the time." Chanel stated a fact that Gabriella didn't deny.

"That's true." Gabriella looked at the clock and sighed. "Listen Chan, Taylor's going to be coming home any minute now, so I've gotta go. Love you." Gabriella bid her sister goodbye and walked out of her room again.

"... It was actually quite uncomfortable...GABI!" Gabriella looked up and grinned as she spotted her best friend.

"TAY!" She yelled in an equally excited voice. The two girls ran up to each other and hugged.

"I missed you Gabs." Taylor mumbled and her friend nodded.

"I know I was dying because I wasn't able to talk to you, speaking of not talking, why the hell didn't you answer your phone?" Gabriella asked her friend sternly. Taylor bit her lip and looked down.

"Well, you see..." She looked up at Gabriella's face and sighed. "Chad wouldn't let me. He made me screen all my calls, because this week was supposed to be about me and him." Taylor tried to explain. Gabriella's face softened and she smiled softly at her friend.

"It's okay Tay, I understand." She said and then grinned cheekily. "What did you lot get up to then, all week long." She spoke suggestively making Taylor flush with embarrassment. As Taylor went on to explain how their weekend didn't involve just staying in bed, Gabriella thought about how Taylor and Chad evolved from what they were before.

Chad lived in New York nowadays and frequently came to L.A. and made trips to Albuquerque to visit his friends and family. But his job of coaching kept him from them for the majority of the year. For his first year after university he played basketball with the Red Hawks, but he then had a fatal injury and was left incapable of playing again. So he converted to coaching basketball.

Taylor on the other hand worked on the LA Daily newspaper as a reporter. Even though she didn't get to be a scientist like she wished, she was still content with her life. Chad and Taylor had kept up their relationship since high school and were engaged to be married. The date however was a mystery to everyone but Chad and Taylor. Gabriella always felt as if the pair were going to ring her some day and say that they eloped in Vegas.

"So Chad told me that Troy's taking you out tomorrow?" Taylor smiled.

"Yeah he is. I can't wait." Gabriella could hardly contain her excitement, after not seeing her boyfriend for at least two weeks, she was yearning to be able to touch, hug and kiss him.

"I also heard that there's a reason to why he's taking you out." Taylor had a glint of excitement in her eyes; she knew something that Gabriella didn't.

"What reason is that?" Gabriella asked.

"Can't say, but good luck in trying to figure it out..." Taylor ended the conversation by walking out of the room.

"Taylor!" Gabriella yelled after the brunette. She slunk back into her chair and stared at the ceiling. A small smiled played on her lips. She closed her eyes with thoughts of Troy and dreamt dreams of Troy.

**The next day...**

"Gabriella!" The brunette turned her head in search of the person who called her name. Her face broke out into a smile as she spotted him.

"Ry, hey, you alright?" She asked, getting off her seat and giving Sharpay's brother a one-armed hug. Ryan fiddled with his hat before looking at her.

"Sharpay called me. She needed me to come down to the theatre today to see if everything is alright for tomorrow night." He informed her. Gabriella nodded, Ryan was a teacher of the Arts and his current drama class had put together a show which was going to be performed every fortnight for three months at one of the Star Dazzle theatres.

"How's the preparation going anyway? Has Annabel overcome her stage fright?" Gabriella asked.

"Yeah she's doing much better with Danny helping her. Those two remind me of two other people I know." He grinned. Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "They act just like you and Troy did when you were at East High. It's like history is repeating itself right in front of my eyes." Gabriella laughed at his comparison.

"How's Bella?" She asked. Ryan smiled at the name of his wife. Bella was Chanel's best friend and now Ryan's wife. The two had married a month back and were living happily and blissfully in L.A.

"She's good, although she is completely homesick and rings home almost all the time. She also rings Chanel in England. The things I do for that woman." Ryan sighed, shaking his head at himself. Gabriella giggled, knowing that he would pay the biggest of phone bills if it meant that Bella was happy. "I'd better go see where she is." He told her and then exited the room to go and find his wife. Gabriella turned and looked into her dressing table mirror. She needed to get ready for her date with Troy. It was in, less than four hours.

"G is this suitable to wear to Sizzle tonight?" Gabriella looked up and nodded at what Martha was holding in her hands. "Great. I'm going to meet David there; we're going on our third date tonight. It's going to be amazing." Martha gushed about her new boyfriend, David. Gabriella smiled at the excitement on her friends face.

"I hope you have a great time." She told her friend.

"Thanks and you too." She said winking at Gabriella. Gabriella laughed as she watched Martha leave. Martha worked at a dance studio, teaching teenagers dance. She loved her job since it let her do the one thing she loved most. Dance.

Gabriella took a deep sigh and walked over to her closet. She needed to get ready before Troy came to pick her up. Her stomach did a few somersaults as she thought of seeing him again. She opened her closet doors and looked through her clothes for something elegant to wear to dinner, but informal enough to be comfortable.

"Gabriella..." The Latina turned around and spotted Jen standing in the doorway holding a shopping bag and grinning like mad. Gabriella raised an eyebrow.

"Jen..." She began to say. Jen giggled.

"Chill Gabriella, I didn't and neither did Sharpay." She reassured the brunette. Jen walked into the room and placed the bag on Gabriella's bed. "But Troy did." She grinned, winked and then left the room leaving Gabriella gobsmacked in the process. She walked over to the bed and fingered the bag, wondering what kind of creation he had picked for her. She took a deep breath and then plunged her hand into the bag, bringing out a handful of soft and silky cloth. She dragged the rest of the material out and then held it up in front of her. It was beautiful. Troy had brought her a dress for their date.

She closed her bedroom door and quickly stripped off her clothing. She placed the garment over her head and rushed over to the mirror, eager to see her reflection. She smiled as she looked at the dress, it fir her perfectly. The dress ended at mid thigh, leaving her legs free. The neck of the dress scooped low enough to show some cleavage but not too much. The arms though were definitely Gabriella's favourite part. They were puffy and really silky.

Gabriella twirled around in it, loving it more knowing that Troy had picked it out especially for her. She fell onto her bed and sighed. Now all she had to do was perfect the image with some killer heels.

**Four hours later...**

"Gabriella, he's here!" Sharpay yelled from the lobby. Gabriella quickly grabbed her black clutch bag and walked over to the mirror. She gave herself one last look and then walked out of the room with satisfaction. "Whoa... you outdid yourself this time. I am so proud of you." Sharpay looked at if she had tears in her eyes. Gabriella grinned at her appraisal.

"Thanks Shar, I just hope he likes it." The Latina said, feeling a little bit nervous now.

"Are you kidding, he's going to drop dead when he sees you girl!" Gabriella turned around and grinned at Taylor.

"Thanks." She said, waiting for the knock on the door. After a few seconds of silence, the knock was heard loud and clear. Gabriella rushed over to the coat rack and grabbed her trench coat before opening the door.

"Hey Brie." Her breath got caught in her throat as she raked her eyes over him for the first time in three weeks.

"Troy..." She breathed his name. He smiled and she lost all feeling in her legs. Troy held out his hand for her to take, and then pulled her into him. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled to herself as she felt him sigh with content.

"Let's go Cinderella. I'll have her back by midnight!" He yelled to Sharpay and Taylor who were watching shamelessly from inside. Gabriella giggled at his choice of word.

"Oh give me a break Troy; we know she isn't going to come home until after a few weeks." Sharpay rolled her eyes as she closed the door on the pair.

"Well, now that your curfew has bumped up to a few weeks, let's go madam." He said leading her towards his car. He opened the passenger door for Gabriella before rushing over to the driver's side. Gabriella placed her hand in his as he started the car and they made their way over to the restaurant.

**At the Yamashiro restaurant...**

"Wow, Troy, this is amazing. Gabriella exclaimed as Troy led her into the restaurant.

"Not as amazing as you are." Troy grinned.

"Corny much?" Gabriella laughed.

"I'm always corny when I'm around you." Troy admitted, making Gabriella laugh again. "God I missed your laugh." He said as he watched her. Gabriella stopped laughing and looked down at the floor bashfully. "I missed that too." He said, referring to her blushing. "Reservation under Bolton." Troy spoke to the headwaiter who grinned as soon as he heard the name Bolton. The short, balding man led the pair to their secluded booth at the back of the restaurant.

"I hope you have a lovely evening." He placed emphasis on the word lovely. Gabriella raised an eyebrow and looked at Troy who just shrugged.

"So tell me girlfriend, how have you been?" Troy asked once they were seated. He held her hand tightly over the table. Gabriella looked into his eyes.

"I've been missing you." She replied instantly. Troy grinned.

"I think I've been missing you too. Far too much. Some days I couldn't get out of bed, cause I didn't want to stop dreaming about you." He admitted, making Gabriella laugh and feel flattered at the same time.

"Well I've had to see your face with Emily's lipstick kisses all over it, plastered on our office wall. It made me miss you and hate her." Gabriella's eyes darkened as she remembered Emily.

"I love it when you get jealous. It is so... hot." Troy said. "But she should know that I will never let you go and that she needs to find a boyfriend ASAP. I could only imagine how that picture of me is feeling. Yearning to have a kiss from your lips, but ending up being plastered with kisses from her lips." He shuddered. Gabriella sighed with content, knowing that he would never leave her for anyone else.

"So, what's the big occasion?" She asked looking around the restaurant. Troy frowned, beautifully may I add.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well we've never ate in a place this fancy since... our first official date." Gabriella grinned as she remembered that night.

"Maybe this is a special occasion. Like our first date was definitely a special occasion." Troy's eyes sparkled as he gazed over at his girlfriend. Gabriella blushed under his intense gaze.

"Yeah it was. But I think that our first date was the night you came over to my house. We had a really good connection from the start. Our first official date was not like others..." Gabriella laughed.

"Yeah we had already gone past the 'I love you's' and the meeting the parents and also the jealous girls as well." Troy chuckled, thinking of their eventful relationship. He locked his gaze on Gabriella's face again and smiled. "But I'd go through it all again, if that means being with you for the rest of my life." His voice softened and was full of emotion. Gabriella smiled; tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Me too Wildcat... me too." Gabriella smiled, leaning over the table slightly. Troy mimicked her actions until they were just an inch apart.

"I love you." He whispered huskily before capturing her lips with his. Their lips stayed connected for what felt like a decade before someone cleared their throat. Gabriella pulled back, her face was beetroot red and her eyes were sparkling.

"Would you like me to get you anything?" The short, balding man looked meaningfully at Troy. The superstar cleared his throat and gave the man a little nod.

"Troy, what's going on?" The Latina asked her boyfriend. Troy took a deep breath and stood up. Gabriella followed him with her eyes as he walked over to her side and got down on one knee. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly.

"Gabriella. Brie. I can't put this into many words because what I feel for you goes beyond words. You are my life, my soul and I don't know where I'd be without you. You opened my eyes up to different things and you helped me to make the right choices. This is by far the biggest choice I've made and as usual you are the cause of it. So you probably know what I'm gonna say so..." Troy fumbled a little as he stared into her tear filled eyes.

"Just ask me Troy." Her voice was but a soft whisper. Music began to play in the background and Gabriella's heart jumped frantically as she realised that the song playing was the song of their love. "You are the music in me." She whispered softly.

"Yeah you are. So that's why tonight I'm asking you, Gabriella Anne Montez, if you'll do me the honour of becoming my wife. Will you marry me Brie?" He asked his eyes were full of love although Gabriella could see that he was worried.

"Yes. Yes I will." She replied. Troy grinned and the balding man handed him a box. Troy opened the box to reveal a simple, yet beautiful ring. Gabriella held out her trembling finger and Troy took it with glee. He slipped the ring onto her ring finger effortlessly. The couple stood up at the same time and practically jumped on each other. Gabriella let her tears fall freely as she clung onto the one thing that had made her life worth living. Right there and then she realised that she was really living out a fairytale. This was definitely her Cinderella story.

* * *

**And they all lived happily ever after.**

**Finally, the last chapter in this awfully long story! I hope that everyone is satisfied with the ending. I thought that this was the perfect ending for a fairytale-like story.**

**I don't have any plans for a sequel at the moment, because there are so many other stories that I can't wait to write. Next up to complete will be Best of Both Worlds. I'm currently re-writing that soo, I hope it turns out better!**

**Lastly, I want to thank everyone for their amazing reviews for all the past chapters and hopefully these chapters. Especially those people who have stayed with this story from the beginning!**

**Thanks,**

**xoxo-catz-eyez-xoxo  
**


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